UnitedHealthcare launches 2010 portfolio of Medicare products

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, today introduced its 2010 portfolio of Medicare products that provide seniors an affordable way to manage their health care and prescription drug needs. UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare plans once again will offer comprehensive benefits, including prevention and disease management programs that are not covered by traditional Medicare. UnitedHealthcare will also offer a zero-premium Medicare Part D product to auto-assigned, low-income subsidy members in 27 out of the 34 Medicare regions. This represents an additional two regions above the 25 in 2009.

Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plan when the annual election period begins on Nov. 15, 2009. The UnitedHealthcare Medicare portfolio includes the nation’s most popular Medicare Advantage plans, the leading Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, the largest Medicare Supplement insurance offerings, and innovative special needs plans. Many of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare plans carry the SecureHorizons and AARP names.

“UnitedHealthcare focuses on what our members tell us matter most, such as affordable and stable plans as well as predictable premiums and copays for prescriptions and doctor visits,” said Tom Paul, chief operating officer for UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare business. “At a time when the Medicare environment is changing, UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans still deliver more savings, satisfaction, and benefits than traditional Medicare.”

The federal government reduced funding for the Medicare Advantage program by five percent for 2010, the largest funding cut in the history of the Medicare Advantage program. Enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans will experience some changes in benefits as a result. However, Paul said UnitedHealthcare sought to minimize 2010 benefit changes and preserve the benefits that UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage participants say they value most – specifically, those services that promote long-term health, care coordination and disease prevention.

“Our plans include tools and value-added services that support better health while reducing health care costs in the long term,” Paul said. “The out-of-pocket savings that our Medicare Advantage plans provide are particularly valuable in the current economic environment.”

Savings over Traditional Medicare
Most of UnitedHealthcare’s 2010 Medicare Advantage plans do not carry monthly premiums and do not have out-of-pocket costs for annual physicals and preventive screenings. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare Advantage plans provided members with an average of $82 in savings per month in improved benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs in 2008 as compared with traditional Medicare. These savings are especially important for lower-income beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans. About half of Medicare Advantage enrollees have incomes below $20,000 according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Comprehensive Benefits
The wellness programs in UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans help members manage chronic conditions and reduce unnecessary hospital stays and readmissions. A 2009 study by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) showed that enrollees in Medicare Advantage receive 33 percent more primary care, visit the emergency room 27 percent less, and have 42 percent fewer readmissions than traditional Medicare. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown a 30 percent reduction in hospital readmissions at both 30 and 90 days after discharge attributable to transition management programs like those available in some Medicare Advantage plans.

When choosing a Medicare Advantage plan, seniors should look for a robust plan that meets their health needs with the lowest out-of-pocket expenses. UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans are built around helping people live healthier lives, all within a continuum of coordinated care services. Among the services many Medicare Advantage plans offer are:

-Prescription drug coverage with predictable copays

-Preventive care services

-Catastrophic coverage

-Dental, vision, hearing and nutritional services

-Fitness programs

-Access to a registered nurse 24-hours a day

-Coverage for emergency care any place in the world

UnitedHealthcare will offer approximately 330 individual Medicare Advantage plans with value-added services in 2,136 counties in 49 states. UnitedHealthcare currently provides its Medicare Advantage plans and Part D prescription drug plans to more than 1.8 million and 4.25 million members, respectively.

“I’ve been a Medicare Advantage member since the late 1990s, and have always felt UnitedHealthcare has taken care of me,” said Lorraine Farrell, New York, N.Y. “The annual exams, included in my plan, help me not get sick. When you feel good you can do so many more things with your life.”

The Medicare Advantage program is a critical source of medical coverage for more than 11 million Medicare beneficiaries. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are less likely than traditional Medicare beneficiaries to report trouble in receiving care, more likely to have a usual source of care, and more likely to receive necessary preventive services such as immunizations, mammographies, and colorectal and prostate screenings.

http://www.uhcmedicaresolutions.com/