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MANAGED CARE PLAN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN 8 NORTHERN AND CENTRAL N.J. COUNTIES

 

MANAGED CARE PLAN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN 8 NORTHERN AND CENTRAL N.J. COUNTIES

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today approved a request by Oxford Health Plan of New Jersey Inc. to expand managed care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in eight counties in northern and central New Jersey.

 

Oxford Health Plan of New Jersey, based in Trumbull, Conn., will begin serving beneficiaries on June 1 in the counties of Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic and Union, including the cities of Newark, Trenton and Princeton.   Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for the plan during the current open enrollment for Medicare Advantage, formerly known as Medicare+Choice About 764,000 beneficiaries live in the eight counties.

          

"We are pleased Oxford Health Plan of New Jersey decided to expand this health plan to include more Medicare beneficiaries in New Jersey,” 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.”

 

The company, which began serving beneficiaries in 1991 in New Jersey, currently serves Hudson County, including Jersey City.  Oxford Health Plan of New Jersey is a subsidiary of Oxford Health Plans Inc., also based in Trumbull.

 

The plan, which does business as Oxford Medicare Advantage, gives beneficiaries in the eight counties another health care choice.  Other plans currently available to beneficiaries in the counties are Horizon Blue Cross, Aetna Health and Americhoice.  

 

“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."

 

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.