MANAGED CARE PLAN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN MONTGOMERY AND 5 ALABAMA COUNTIES
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a request by United Healthcare of Alabama Inc. to expand managed care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in Montgomery, Ala., and five southeastern Alabama counties.
United Healthcare of Alabama is now serving beneficiaries in the counties of Elmore, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery including the city of Montgomery and Russell. Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for the plan during the current open enrollment for Medicare Advantage, formerly known as Medicare+Choice. About 58,000 beneficiaries live in the five counties.
"We are pleased United Healthcare of Alabama decided to expand this health plan to include more Medicare beneficiaries in Alabama,” HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "Under the Medicare reform law signed by President Bush, Medicare will provide all seniors - no matter where they live - with better health insurance options, including prescription drug coverage and preventive care. The law is achieving the President's goals of strengthening and modernizing Medicare.”
United Healthcare of Alabama began serving Medicare beneficiaries in 1995 in five Alabama counties, including the city of Birmingham. The company is a subsidiary of United Health Group, based in Minnetonka, Minn.
The plan gives another health care choice to beneficiaries in the five new counties. No other Medicare Advantage plans currently operate in these counties.
“We want to make sure all Medicare beneficiaries, whether in a Medicare Advantage plan or fee-for-service, are receiving the highest quality health care," said CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "We are doing more to guarantee that beneficiaries understand the Medicare coverage options available to them. We also are reminding beneficiaries of the need to work closely with the doctors and other health care providers that give them medical care."
Since Dec. 8, when President Bush signed the Medicare Modernization Act into law, CMS has approved 10 new contracts with Medicare health plans and 33 service area expansions. There are currently 32 applications pending for new contracts and 19 service area expansions pending.
Medicare Advantage HMOs and fee-for-service plans are available where private companies choose to offer them. Currently, about 4.6 million Medicare beneficiaries -- out of a total of about 40 million aged and disabled Americans – have enrolled in Medicare HMOs. Original fee-for-service Medicare, currently chosen by more than 35 million beneficiaries, is available to all beneficiaries.
Medicare has a far-reaching consumer information program that includes a national toll-free phone number -- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or TTY/TDD, at 877-486-2048 -- an Internet site -- www.medicare.gov -- and a coalition of more than 200 national and local organizations to provide seniors more information.