epcounty.com

County Benefits - Nurseline

Nurse Line Info
Call toll-free at (866) 209-3225, PIN # 587
View Health Forums
Welcome to Optum 24-Hour Nurse Hotline
Access to healthcare information is an important part of your family's health management and support!

YOU CAN:

•Talk confidentially with a registered nurse, any time day or night
•Listen to over 1,100 pre-recorded messages on a variety of health topics in English, 590 in Spanish
•Use the telephone to get the latest health care information

PROGRAM GUIDE
We have prepared this program information guide to walk you through important points to remember. Review the following topics to learn how to get the best out of the 24-Hour Nurse Hotline!
•Getting Started - Important Information
•How The 24-Hour Nurse Hotline Can Help
•Telephone Number and Options
•Audio Library Catalog

1. Getting Started - Important Information
USAGE RULES
Your subscription to this service is limited to you and your immediate family -- That is, those family members who live with you. It is not to be used for other relatives or friends. The nurses will not be able to take calls regarding others outside your household. Please be considerate of this as you use our services.

PHYSICAL SAFETY
Although you can call the hotline for any healthcare concern, remember that the information hotline is not to be used if you think you are having an emergency! An emergency is a situation where you feel you or someone in your family may be having a life-threatening condition. DO NOT CALL US! CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!

PRIVACY
Because your calls are confidential, our nurses won't discuss your call history with anyone, except as required by law. Your privacy is crucial to our success. That's why all of your phone calls will be just between you and the nurse.

2. How The Information Hotline Can Help
Experience Makes A BIG Difference
Our nurses can answer your questions any time of the day or night! You can call when you or a family member is having illness symptoms or even if you just have general health questions when you don't have a specific symptom or urgent medical need. Our nurses average more than 15 years of clinical experience and take their job very seriously. They use hundreds of physician-approved symptom guidelines to help you know what to do in an urgent or emergency situation.
Illness Symptoms
If you or a family member are experiencing physical symptoms AND IF YOU ARE UNSURE whether you are having an emergency, call our nurses any time of day or night. They will ask you a series of questions based on the symptoms you are having. Then, based on everything you tell them about your condition, they will alert you if you should seek emergency medical attention and what steps you should take. If your symptoms do not indicate that emergency care is needed, they will likely provide one or more of the following options:

•Self-Care at Home	•Make an Appointment With Your Doctor
•Call Your Doctor	•Go to a Walk-in Clinic

If the situation is not an emergency, the nurses will usually provide comfort measures that can be used at home until either your symptoms are gone or until you can get medical attention. The nurses will NOT be able to diagnose your condition. They will simply provide care alternatives for you based solely on what you tell them about your symptoms. Please don't ask them to tell you what they "think" or "believe" the medical problem is. Only your doctor can diagnose your condition.

After you speak to a nurse, remember that the decision about whether to seek care or not is always yours -- You are the center of the healthcare team!

GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONS
If you don't have any symptoms but have questions about any health issue, you can listen to more than 1,100 pre-recorded topics in English and 590 in Spanish. You'll find the topics listed in the Audio Library Catalog.

If after reviewing our extensive catalogs of pre-recorded and printable information, your questions are not answered, you can always call to speak directly to a nurse. They use an extensive database and library of information on everything from disease information to wellness tips.

TESTS AND SURGICAL PROCEDURES
If you or a family member is considering a specific test or surgical procedure, our nurses can talk with you about the benefits and risks related to it. You can learn how to better manage the potential outcomes of such recommended procedures as prescribed by your doctor.

3. Telephone Number and Options
To use the Nurse Hotline, call toll-free at (866) 209-3225, PIN # 587. Select from three options as follows:

PRESS 1	To listen to more than 1,100 English or 590 Spanish pre-recorded health topics from the Audio Library Catalog
PRESS 2	To speak with a registered nurse about physical symptoms you or a family member are having or about general health questions

4. Healthcare Information Web Site
Your membership entitles you to access to the Web site for the Nurse Hotline, which is https://www.healthforums.com/. On this site, you can find up-to date information on a variety of health related topics, as well as accessing the same kind of topical health information that you can access from the Audio Library Catalog.

When you first visit the site, you will need to register as a valid member to gain full access to the site. Select "Log In" from the menu at the top, and choose to "register" as a first time user. Use the toll free access number "8662093225" as your registration code to proceed.

Please note that the Nurse Hotline cannot help you with benefit, eligibility or claims payment information.