My Health
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If you have a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who
takes a drug prescribed by a doctor for it, finding the right dose is key. The
right dose can help your child get the full effect of the drug with fewer side
effects. But what amount is right? To find out, your child’s doctor may have to
make dose changes from time to time or try different drugs. To be safe when
using ADHD drugs:
•
Your child must take the drug exactly as prescribed.
•
When your child first starts on an ADHD drug, you should set up an office
visit within the first month with the doctor who prescribed the drug. This
helps the doctor know that the drug is working well.
•
Pay attention to how your child first responds to the drug. Ask his or her
teacher as well. Since the best dose of each drug is not decided by a child’s
size or weight alone, reports from parents and teachers help the doctor make
sure that your child gets the right dose.
•
Track progress using the drug over a period of time. There are checklists and
rating scales that can help you do this. Ask the doctor about how to get them.
•
See the doctor who prescribed the drug at least two more times within the
next nine months to help make sure the drug is working well. These two
visits could happen during well visits.
What to expect as your child grows
The dose may need to change. It’s important to see the doctor for ongoing well
visits and use this time to talk about any ADHD drug your child takes.
•
Tell your child’s doctor if your child is taking other medicines (even those
sold over the counter) or vitamins.
•
Watch how well your child progresses in school, at home and overall.
•
Call the doctor who prescribed the drug if you have any concerns
or questions.
Source: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry website:
Practice Parameters for the
Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ADHD
(2007): aacap.org
Using your benefits is really simple. Just
keep a few key things in mind:
Get to know what’s on your member ID
card.
Whether you’re a new member or
you just renewed, take a close look at your
ID card. There’s a lot right there. It has
your plan name, your ID number, the phone
number for the Customer Care Center and
more. Always bring your member ID card
with you when you go to the doctor’s office.
Check that the doctor you are headed
to is in the network before you go.
If you
use a doctor who is not part of your plan’s
network, you could have problems like the
plan not paying for a service or the doctor
not knowing a service is not covered. And
that means you might have to pay more
out of your own pocket. Call the doctor to
check, use our
Find a Doctor
tool on the
home page or call us at
1-800-407-4627
.
Take some time to read through your
Member Handbook.
This describes the
features of your plan in detail. Don’t wait
for an emergency to look at it for the
first time. Read up on your plan ahead of
time and call the Customer Care Center at
1-800-407-4627
about things in the guide
that you don’t understand. If you have
hearing or speech loss, call the TTY line
at
1-888-757-6034
.
One more thing: pay close attention to any
letters you get from us. Call us if you don’t
understand anything in letters we send
you. They are usually important. We want
to make it as easy as we can for you to use
your benefits to the fullest.
Does your child have ADHD?
Learn how to help the
medicine work its best
Get the most from your plan
Share for better care
When your child sees a specialist or goes
to the emergency room, are you telling
the main or primary doctor? Make sure
your child’s doctor and specialists all
know about all the care your child gets. It
helps the doctors, so your child doesn’t
have to go through the same tests twice.
That saves time and money. It also helps
to make sure your child has the best
outcome for your child’s health concern.
You play a big role in making sure your
child gets the right care for any problems
your child has.
Be sure to:
•
•
Share the names of each of your
child’s providers with all doctors who
give your child care.
•
•
Tell all your child’s doctors when your
child is prescribed medicine from
a provider. Tell them if your child is
hospitalized or sees a specialist.
•
•
Sign a consent form to release
medical records so your child’s
information can be shared by
different providers.
It’s key to share for better care.
