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MANAGED CARE PLAN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN 12 NORTHEN MINNESOTA COUNTIES

MANAGED CARE PLAN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN 12 NORTHEN MINNESOTA COUNTIES

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a request by UCare Minnesota to expand managed care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in 12 northern Minnesota counties.

UCare Minnesota, based in Minneapolis, Minn., will begin serving beneficiaries on Jan.1 in the 12 rural Minnesota counties of Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Kittson, Marshall, Morrison, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, St. Louis and Todd. Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for the plan during the current open enrollment for Medicare Advantage, formerly known as Medicare+Choice.  About 84,000 beneficiaries live in the 12 counties.

"We are pleased UCare Minnesota decided to expand this health plan to include more Medicare beneficiaries in Minnesota,” 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.”

UCare Minnesota began serving Medicare beneficiaries in Minnesota in 1998 as a Medicare HMO.  Currently, the company serves beneficiaries in 11 Minnesota counties, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The plan gives another health care choice to beneficiaries in the 12 counties. The other Medicare Advantage plans currently operating in at least one of these counties are First Plan of Minnesota, Health Partners, Humana Insurance Co., Medica Insurance Co., Sterling Life Insurance Co. and Unicare Life and Health Insurance Co. 

“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, 2003, when President Bush signed the Medicare Modernization Act into law, CMS has approved 37 new contracts with Medicare health plans and 52 service area expansions.  There are currently 23 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.