GEISINGER HEALTH PLAN FAMILY - Member Update - Quarter 4, 2025 - Lead Poisoning, Electronic Medical Records, Flu Shot, GEDWorks, Pregnancy Home Safety

Sep 14, 2026

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Quarter 4, 2025 GEISINGER HEALTH PLAN FAMILY Member Update shares practical guidance for Medicaid families and other members. It explains how lead poisoning harms young children and why blood testing at ages 1 and 2 matters, plus free home testing when results reach 3.5 µg/dL or higher. It also covers protecting survivors from misuse of electronic medical records, flu vaccination actions to reduce community spread, and how to earn a GED online through GEDWorks. Finally, it provides home-safety steps during pregnancy, including water, air, radon, mold, and exposure prevention.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Lead poisoning in children

Testing and free home source assessment

Domestic violence and electronic medical records

Protecting account privacy and access

Breathe easy this flu season: Get a flu shot

How to schedule and find locations

Earn your GED online with Geisinger GEDWorks

Program features and application

Keeping your home safe during pregnancy

Lead, air quality, radon, and mold precautions

GEISINGER HEALTH PLAN FAMILY Member Update Quarter 4, 2025 Lead poisoning in children For children—especially those under age 6—lead poisoning is a serious issue. Even small amounts of lead can cause big problems: damage to the nervous system, learning and behavior challenges, slowed growth, and hearing or speech issues. How does exposure happen? It’s more common than you might think. Kids can come into contact with lead by touching, swallowing, or even breathing in lead dust—often from old paint, contaminated soil, or water that runs through lead pipes. Because there’s no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood, early testing is key. Children covered by Medicaid should get a blood test for lead poisoning at ages 1 and 2. It’s a simple step that can make a huge difference. But testing is just the beginning. We can stay ahead of lead dangers by: • Improving blood lead testing, reporting, and surveillance • Making sure exposed children get the services they need If your child’s lead test results are high, there’s help available. Families with children who have a venous blood lead level of 3.5 µg/dL or higher can get their home tested for lead sources at no cost. That’s a big relief for many households, and a call to action for others. GHP Family members can call the Geisinger Health Plan Enhanced Member Supports Unit Hotline toll-free at 855-214-8100 (PA Relay 711), Monday through Friday, [8 a.m. to 5 p.m](8 a.m. to 5 p.m)., to learn more and get support. Domestic violence and electronic medical records Today, many people can see their health information online. This can be very helpful. It lets patients look at their test results and message their doctor. It can help them keep track of their care. But sometimes, this information can also be used in harmful ways. People who are abusive may try to use a survivor’s health records to control or hurt them. For example, an abusive partner might log into the survivor’s medical account and see notes from the doctor. They may learn that the survivor is talking about abuse or about other health concerns, like substance use. Then, they might try to use that information against the survivor—like threatening to take away their children. Even if the survivor doesn’t say they are being abused, their health records might still have personal details that could put them at risk. That’s why it’s important for healthcare providers and patients to work together. You can ask a doctor if they can “mark” an electronic note as private. This would mean that note couldn’t be seen by anyone but medical professionals. Survivors concerned about medical records can: • Change their passwords • Use two-step sign-in (like a code sent to their phone) • Check to see who has official access to their records If you or someone you care about is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Find your local domestic violence program on the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence website. Please visit: [https://www.pcadv.org/find-help/find-your](https://www.pcadv.org/find-help/find-your)local-domestic-violence-program to find a program near you. The services offered by these programs are provided at no cost. These services are confidential. 2 I Member Update Quarter 4, 2025 Breathe easy this flu season: Get a flu shot Getting a yearly flu vaccine is a simple, effective way to protect yourself and others. It reduces your risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and complications. Vaccination also slows the spread of flu in your community, easing the burden on healthcare systems. Stay healthy and protect others by getting vaccinated. • You can make an appointment by logging into MyGeisinger/MyChart. • Call 866-915-2313 to schedule an appointment. • Walk into any Geisinger doctor’s office, ConvenientCare (age 9 or older), or pharmacy. Find a nearby location to get your flu shot [at](at geisinger.org/ghpflu)[ geisinger.org/ghpflu](at geisinger.org

FAQs

Why is lead poisoning a serious concern for young children, and how can exposure happen?

Even small amounts of lead can damage the nervous system and affect learning, behavior, growth, and hearing or speech. Children may be exposed by touching, swallowing, or breathing in lead dust from sources such as old paint, contaminated soil, or lead pipes.

What should Medicaid-covered children do for lead testing, and what if results are high?

Children covered by Medicaid should get a blood test for lead poisoning at ages 1 and 2. If a child’s venous blood lead level is 3.5 µg/dL or higher, families can get their home tested for lead sources at no cost.

How can survivors protect medical privacy in electronic health records?

Survivors can change passwords, use two-step sign-in, and check who has official access. Patients can also ask healthcare providers to mark an electronic note as private so it is limited to medical professionals.

What actions are recommended for flu prevention and home safety during pregnancy?

Get a yearly flu shot to reduce risk of serious illness and limit flu spread in the community, with scheduling options via MyGeisinger/MyChart or phone and walk-in locations. During pregnancy, use lead-safe practices (especially for homes built before 1978), improve indoor air quality, test well water if applicable, and test for radon; address mold and ventilation issues promptly.

Sep 14, 2026

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