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A well-child checkup is a great opportunity to monitor your child’s growth and development, and it's also a chance to establish a trusting relationship with your child’s pediatrician and have your questions answered. What to Expect at Each Checkup At every checkup, a comprehensive physical examination will be conducted to assess your child's growth parameters, including height, weight and head circumference. A developmental assessment will evaluate the progress of your infant or young child in achieving age-appropriate milestones, encompassing language skills, motor development, problem-solving abilities and psycho-social skills. In addition, your pediatrician will address common concerns such as feeding, sleep patterns, oral health and general infant care. Unless there are specific needs or concerns for your baby, routine laboratory tests are typically unnecessary. Your pediatrician will provide guidance on immunization schedules, post-vaccination expectations and when to seek medical attention. Furthermore, during each visit, you will receive age-specific guidance to help you anticipate your child's expected growth and development, along with essential safety precautions and illness prevention measures. Your pediatrician will discuss various topics, such as placing your baby to sleep on their back, utilizing rear-facing infant car seats until around age two, maintaining home water thermostats below 120 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring dangerous objects and poisonous substances are out of sight and reach, emphasizing dental health and promoting the use of bike helmets, among other things. Preparing for Your Visit It is recommended that, as a parent, you write down any questions beforehand, so you don’t forget them in the moment. Most importantly, feel comfortable asking your pediatrician about anything that might seem unusual, as you are the parent, and you know best! Before leaving the pediatrician’s office, be sure that you fully understand any instructions given to you and ask for clarification if needed. From your child’s birth through young adulthood, you will be visiting your pediatrician regularly. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides what a regular schedule might look like. Well-Child Checkup Schedule Two to three days after birth and at one month Two months Four months Six months Nine months One year 15 months 18 months 24 months 30 months Three years, and yearly after

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Cost-saving isn’t the only reason to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan. One of the main reasons Medicare beneficiaries in Nevada join a Senior Care Plus Medicare Advantage Plan is for the care coordination services. The Senior Care Plus Care Coordination team helps members navigate what can be a complex healthcare system. Care coordination is a popular and extremely important service for members because keeping members healthy is the number one goal. One way they help reach this goal is to encourage members to participate in a no-cost, comprehensive health assessment. At this Quick Start Health Assessment, members meet with a geriatric specialist – a provider who specializes in the care of seniors – to discuss the 4 Ms: Mentation – Thinking, memory and mental health Medications – Understanding your medication Mobility – Staying physically active What Matters to You – Let your provider know what is important to you – examples could be family, health and independence The results of this detailed visit are then shared with the member’s primary care provider, so a customized care plan can be developed. This is a free service for Senior Care Plus members, along with an annual wellness visit and an annual physical exam. Care Team Approach – Laying the Foundation to Improve Health Health assessments and annual visits are offered so Renown Health providers can build relationships to improve care. This approach, also known as the Building Relationships to Improve Care or BRIC Model, is the care model used across Renown Health. “What’s special about this care model is that it really puts our patients at the center of their care,” says Savannah Gonsalves, a registered nurse with Senior Care Plus. “Members have their providers and nurses, Senior Care Plus personal assistants, case managers, and within the BRIC Model, they’re all talking to one another and putting the focus on the patient to meet needs.” Personal Assistants – A Unique Connection to Each Member A team of personal assistants is available to help members coordinate care by: Scheduling a member’s appointments Answering a member’s benefits questions Helping navigate care – these are experts in both health insurance and healthcare Answering questions about medications Working with providers to coordinate a member’s care The Senior Care Plus personal assistants are one of the most popular services that the Medicare Advantage plan offers. Each personal assistant has a direct phone line so members can call them to ask questions. “After my hip surgery my personal assistant, Megan checked in on me every day,” recalls Janelle, a Senior Care Plus member. “She made sure that I was doing alright and that I didn’t need anything. She just let me know that she was there for me.” To Learn More Senior Care Plus is the largest Medicare Advantage Plan in northern Nevada. They offer $0 plans with low co-pays with access to Renown Health and Teladoc Virtual Visits that cover you nationwide. To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans and to see if you qualify, visit SeniorCarePlus.com or call 775-982-3158 to speak to an enrollment specialist.

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