By following the tips below, you and your family will gain more from Medicaid. You'll also avoid some costly mistakes and problems.

1. Always carry the current copy of your Medicaid card with you. If you visit a healthcare provider, be sure their office sees the card and makes a copy.  If a provider hasn't seen your card, and is unaware you have Medicaid, you may be billed. Getting the bill straightened out can cause problems and delays.
   
   
2. If you live in a county where you must enroll in a Managed Health Care plan, make full use of the plan.   Managed Health Care (MHC) means you'll have an HMO or a MediPASS provider. They will help you plan and coordinate your treatment.  They're looking out for you and they know about all the services you receive.  Get to know your HMO or MediPASS providers and ask them for health care advice.  You'll be ahead in the long run.
   
   
3. Plan ahead if you'll be going out of state. Iowa Medicaid only pays for health care when you receive it from Iowa's network of providers. Most providers outside Iowa are not enrolled in our network.  Don't end up being billed yourself:  Try to make sure you and your family receive any needed treatment from your regular Iowa healthcare provider before you travel outside Iowa.
   
   
4. Only visit an Emergency Room when there is a real emergency.  Try to plan ahead so you or your family members can be seen by your regular provider.  Schedule each visit during office hours when you can. 
   Let's say that you or your child does become ill at night or on the weekend. If it's not a true emergency where every second counts, call and ask your regular provider what he or she wants you to do. 
   
   
5. Use of an ambulance is covered by Medicaid only when the trip is medically necessary.  If it's not, you'll get the bill. It's better to ask someone for a ride or take a taxi for routine trips to the provider's office or clinic.
   
   
6. Preventive care works.  Take responsibility for doing whatever you can to stop a health care problem from happening in the first place.  Some conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes can be avoided or helped with a healthy diet. You may be able to take more control of your health by watching your weight and not smoking, for instance. 
   
   When a medical condition does develop, seek medical help early on. Start treatment before the condition becomes a major problem.  Talk with your provider about preventive care and what you can do to take charge of your own health plan.
   
   
7. If you have children, a preventive care program known as Care for Kids will be especially important.  Care for Kids makes it possible for Iowa Medicaid to screen your young child often and to pay for any health care service that your child is found to need. Talk with your IMW (Income Maintenance Worker) or your/your child's health care provider about Care for Kids. Or call 1-800-369-2229 for more information.  And once your child is enrolled, make sure he or she receives the full benefits of this program.
   
   
8. Medicaid often covers preventive services for adults, too.  There are mammograms and PAP smears for women and tests to detect prostate problems in men, for instance.
   
   
9. Follow exactly your treatment plan and provider's advice.  Be sure to let the provider know if there is a reason you don't feel the treatment plan will work for you.  For example, make sure the doctor knows about any problem you might have had in the past with the medicine he or she says you should take. 
   
   Avoid mistakes like taking some old medicine you have at home.  This might seem cheaper in the first place.  But it can blow up into disaster. 
   
   There's a reason the provider is giving the advice he/she is.  Ask if you don't understand. Be sure to follow your treatment plan for your best health.