Winning Health | Gold Coast Health Plan | Issue 2 | Fall 2018

Issue 2 • Fall 2018 health winning T he holidays are a time for giving. But there’s at least one gift you don’t want to get: the flu. That miserable virus that causes fever, chills and body aches. The one that can put you in bed for a week or more. You can help prevent getting the flu on the holidays–and for the months that follow. All you have to do is get a flu shot. Not only will the yearly vaccine help you avoid getting this unwanted gift–it also will help you avoid giving it to somebody else, especially if you will be in contact with newborn babies, pregnant women and elderly people. When you get your flu shot, talk Know your Medi-Cal benefits Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) has Benefit Information Meetings each month throughout the county. These meetings are in both English and Spanish. You will learn about your benefits and how to receive them, along with other resources. For meetings near you, visit GCHP’s website, goldcoasthealthplan.org , or call Member Ser vices at 1-888-301-1228/ TTY 1-888-310-7347 . Standard U.S. Postage PAID Long Beach, CA Permit No. 2041 to your doctor about keeping you and your family up-to-date on other vaccines: Whooping cough: A respiratory disease that can spread through close contact. It causes coughing attacks that make it hard to breathe. This vaccine is especially important if you’re pregnant. Pneumococcal pneumonia: A lung infection caused by bacteria. Hepatitis A: A highly contagious liver infection that can be passed on in food. It is caused by a virus. Meningococcal disease: A brain and spinal cord infection caused by bacteria. Your doctor can tell you if vaccines for these illnesses are right for you! Sources: American Lung Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The flu: A holiday gift no one wants