Health Navigator delivered by Castlight: Frequently asked questions

Health Navigator delivered by Castlight recently launched for AEP employees and pre-65 retirees to help them make the most of their medical benefit plans and their pocketbooks. Here is more information about Health Navigator.

ABOUT HEALTH NAVIGATOR

Q1: What is Health Navigator?

A1: Health Navigator (www.mycastlight.com/AEPHealthNavigator) is a personal health care dashboard that helps you take control of your health care and get more for your money. AEP has partnered with Castlight, a leading health technology company, to bring Health Navigator to you. Health Navigator lets you compare doctors and medical services based on quality, convenience, and cost.

Q2: When should I use Health Navigator?

A2: You can use Health Navigator to:

• Compare nearby doctors, medical facilities, and health care services based on the price you’ll pay and quality of care.
• See personalized cost estimates based on your location, your health plan, and whether or not you’ve already paid your deductible.
• Review step-by-step explanations of past medical spending so you know how much you paid and why.
• Receive recommendations about ways to save money and find high-quality care.

Q3: If I already have a doctor, how can I benefit from Health Navigator?

A3: Use Health Navigator when your doctor recommends labs, specialists, and other medical services. You’ll be able to learn about your choices and the associated costs and quality. Many doctors suggest specialists, labs, and other medical facilities but do not themselves provide cost information. Most doctors will happily provide you with multiple options to research on Health Navigator. You can also use Health Navigator to search for services for other members of your family. In addition, Health Navigator provides an easy way to understand your health plan and past care.

Q4: How does Health Navigator compare to other services on the Internet? 

A4: Health Navigator is a unique service customized for AEP employees with features that are not available from other services on the internet. Health Navigator gives you personalized pricing information. The tool shows you how much your out-of-pocket costs will be for medical services based on your health plan, the doctors in your preferred network, and your deductible status. Health Navigator also provides an overview of your health plan benefits, tips for making smart health care decisions, and details about your past claims.

Q5: How is Health Navigator different from the health plan portal?

A5: Health Navigator makes it easy to compare doctors side by side based on price, quality, and location. It shows your actual out-of-pocket costs based on your deductible status for a wide range of medical services. It also makes knowing the status of your current health plan benefits easier. For example, your remaining deductible is always clearly shown right on the Health Navigator home page. Finally, it provides step-by-step explanations of your past care history so you can better understand what you’ve spent and why.

Q6: Where does the estimated cost information for doctors and medical services come from?

A6: Health Navigator lists estimated cost information for doctors and medical services that AEP employees have visited in the past two years. This information is updated continuously as ongoing medical claims are submitted to the health plans.

Although all medical services may not show prices in Health Navigator, the most common doctors and services used by AEP members will show up in the tool and the amount of useful information increases frequently.

Q7: How much can I expect to save?

A7: Health Navigator users may be able to save hundreds of dollars a year by seeing all their options for nearby in-network doctors. For example, use Health Navigator to search for a primary care doctor, and you will typically find a price range greater than $100. Of course, Health Navigator provides more information about doctors than just prices. You can also see where doctors went to medical school, how long they have been practicing, and how other patients have rated them. Health Navigator lets you see all of your options and choose the one that works best for you.

Q8: Do doctors with lower prices for office visits tend to have lower prices for all the services they perform?

A8: Yes. In fact, picking a doctor with a lower-priced office visit may result in significant savings down the road. If doctor A is more expensive than doctor B for the same type of office visit, doctor A will likely be more expensive than doctor B for any other procedure. As a general rule, the rates negotiated for all services performed by a given doctor rise or fall together.

Furthermore, if you find a low-cost doctor for your office visit, then there is a good chance that your later visits and procedures will also be at the low end of the spectrum. On the other hand, if you go to see a doctor who is part of a high-priced medical system, not only will the office visit be more expensive, but all of this doctor’s referrals for specialists and tests are likely to be in that same high-priced medical system. Using Health Navigator to compare and select a primary care doctor can have huge cost benefits, both now and in the future.

Q9: Where does Health Navigator’s quality data come from?

A9: Quality data comes from a wide range of public and private sources including the Leapfrog Group for Patient Safety, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, other governmental reporting agencies, and consumer ratings resources.

Q10: How often is the data in Health Navigator updated?

A10: Castlight, the company delivering Health Navigator, updates your deductible status on every visit, past medical history once a month, and pricing data monthly. Please note that since your deductible status is updated more frequently than your past medical history, it will reflect the most up-to-date total of your overall spending history, including your most recently processed medical claims. However, the total spending listed on the Your Plan page is based on your latest monthly past medical history update, and may not reflect your most recently processed medical claims. If you have any questions, call 1-866-259-4428.

ACCESSING HEALTH NAVIGATOR

Q11: How do I get access to Health Navigator?

A12: Health Navigator is available to all AEP employees who are on a company medical plan. Sign up or login to Health Navigator at www.mycastlight.com/AEPHealthNavigator. If you have questions you can call toll-free at 1-866-259-4428 for full Health Navigator access over the phone.

Q13: How do my spouse and/or adult dependents access Health Navigator?

A13: During your registration, you have the option to provide email addresses for your spouse and/or adult dependents, who will then receive emailed registration instructions. Once registered, spouses and adult dependents can return to Health Navigator by going to www.mycastlight.com/AEPHealthNavigator. Spouses and adult dependents can also call toll-free at 1-866-259-4428 for full Health Navigator access over the phone.

Q14: How can I use Health Navigator when I’m not at a computer?

A14: Health Navigator is available via phone. You can call toll-free at 1-866-259-4428 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. You can also use Health Navigator on your web-enabled mobile device. Simply visit: www.mycastlight.com/mobile.

Q15: What mobile devices will Health Navigator work on?

A15: The Castlight mobile app is designed to work on most web-enabled mobile devices. An application is available for Android devices, Windows Phones, and iPhones. The application can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace or the Apple App Store. The mobile app is designed to display optimally on web-enabled mobile devices.

Even if you don’t have an Android, Windows Phone, or iPhone, you can use Castlight through your phone’s web browser. Simply type in http://www.mycastlight.com into your browser.

Q16: When should I use Castlight on my mobile device? 

A16: Castlight allows you to access quality and cost information for medical services on the go. For example, this can be convenient when you’re at the doctor’s office. If your doctor refers you to a specialist or recommends a screening test, you can search for high-quality and affordable care and compare your options. With Castlight you can find a doctor, see cost and quality information, call for an appointment, and get directions to your doctor all from one place. It makes managing your health care more convenient.

PRIVACY AND SECURITY

Q17: Is my data private and secure?

A17: AEP has partnered with Castlight Health to allow you to securely and privately compare doctors and medical services, learn more about your medical benefits, and plan for out-of-pocket healthcare costs with Health Navigator. Your activities on their websites remain private and are not shared with AEP. Castlight Health is also a member of TRUSTe, the leading authority for ensuring proper privacy standards on the web. For more information on Castlight Health’s strict privacy standards, please see their privacy policy.

Castlight Health maintains the highest security standards and is obligated under federal HIPAA guidelines to keep your data safe. They have partnered with McAfee and VeriSign to ensure adherence to some of the strictest security standards in the industry.

Q18: What information can I see about my family members? And what information can my family members see about me?

A18: Castlight Health conforms to all federal and state healthcare laws and statutes including HIPAA. By default, you will see past medical care records for yourself and your minor children. You will see only limited billing information (as required by law) for your spouse/domestic partner and adult dependents. However, your spouse/domestic partner and adult dependents can choose to change their profile settings to display full past medical care records.

Spouses/domestic partners will see only their information and the information of minor children. You can choose to grant your spouse/domestic partner access to your past medical care records by changing your profile settings.

Adult dependents can only see their own past medical care records.

Q19: How often will I hear from Health Navigator?

A19: Health Navigator will provide you with personalized savings tips and care history update notices by email. You may also choose to receive periodic product updates. You can choose your email preferences on your account page in Castlight to opt out of receiving emails if you choose. Standard account maintenance notices, such as password change confirmations, are also sent.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

Q20: Where do I go for more help with Health Navigator?

A20: The fastest way to get help is to call toll-free at 1-866-259-4428. A Castlight Guide will be able to answer your question or direct your call.

Q21: What are Castlight Guides, and how can they help me?

A21: Castlight Guides are dedicated experts who are able to provide full access to the Health Navigator service over the telephone at 1-866-259-4428. You can call a Castlight Guide when you are at a doctor’s office or when considering treatment options while away from your computer.