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UCare Expands UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage Plan to All Minnesota Counties

Posted on: Thursday, 23 August 2007, 09:14 CDT

UCare announced today that it is adding nine counties to its Minnesota service area, which will complete its expansion of its UCare for Seniors Medicare Advantage product to all 87 counties in the state. Three levels of comprehensive coverage will become available Jan. 1, 2008, to Medicare-eligible residents of Wilkin County in western Minnesota; Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, and Mahnomen counties in north central Minnesota; and Lake and Cook counties in the Arrowhead region.

"We are very pleased to offer all Medicare beneficiaries across Minnesota access to a comprehensive and affordable health plan like UCare for Seniors," said Nancy Feldman, UCare President and CEO. "We've worked hard to make UCare for Seniors one of the best overall health care values in our state. Now all Minnesotans with Medicare, no matter where they live, can streamline and improve their health coverage with UCare."

Medicare beneficiaries in the UCare for Seniors service area can enroll in the comprehensive and affordable plan during Medicare's Annual Election Period, which begins Nov. 15 and ends Dec. 31, 2007; the effective coverage date is Jan. 1, 2008.

With more than 36,000 members, UCare for Seniors is one of Minnesota's largest Medicare Advantage plans. As an independent, nonprofit health plan, UCare is dedicated to serving members of its Minnesota Health Care Programs and Medicare plans, not shareholders or investors. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently ranked UCare for Seniors in the top 8 percent of all Medicare Advantage plans nationwide for outstanding performance.

UCare for Seniors expands eastward to western Wisconsin

UCare also announced the expansion of UCare for Seniors to 23 counties in western Wisconsin, which is UCare's first product expansion beyond Minnesota.

"We know that people in Wisconsin are looking for a Medicare plan with the features and benefits available in UCare for Seniors," Feldman said. "We already have Wisconsin clinics and care systems like Mayo Health System in our provider network, so it makes great sense to extend our presence across Minnesota's eastern border."

UCare for Seniors will be introduced this fall to Wisconsin residents in Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Crawford, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Richland, Sawyer, Trempealeau, St. Croix, Vernon, and Washburn counties.

Three levels of comprehensive coverage (Classic, Value, and Value Plus), an extensive network of leading providers and care systems, and worldwide emergency coverage and urgent care will be offered to Medicare-eligible people in UCare's Minnesota and western Wisconsin service areas. The UCare for Seniors Classic Plan includes hospital and medical coverage, and features Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) and coverage for eyewear, hearing aids, and preventive dental care. The UCare for Seniors Value Plan offers comprehensive hospital and medical coverage at a lower monthly premium than the Classic level. The Value Plus plan offers all the Value plan coverage benefits, but also includes Part D. Monthly premiums vary between the three levels and also between Greater Minnesota and the 16-county metro region.

On Oct. 1, benefits and premium information will be available from UCare marketing representatives by calling 1-877-523-1518 (toll free) or at www.ucare.org.

Information meetings scheduled in Wisconsin, Minnesota

Meetings to help Medicare-eligible citizens in Minnesota and western Wisconsin learn more about Medicare and their Medicare options are scheduled in August and September. UCare will visit scores of community sites in the entire service area to conduct these free information meetings, which are open to the public and offered as a service to the community.

Meetings specifically about UCare for Seniors will take place in the plan's entire service area during October, November, and December 2007. At these sessions, UCare representatives will discuss and answer questions about UCare for Seniors Value, Value Plus, and Classic plans. All Minnesota and Wisconsin meeting schedules will be posted Oct. 1 at www.ucare.org/visitors/healthplans/ufs/view/ufsmeetings.html. The schedule also can be obtained by calling 612-676-3500 or 1-877-523-1518 (toll free).

All Medicare beneficiaries presently enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan have one more opportunity to switch Part D plans in 2008 during the Open Enrollment Period between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2008, with some limitations.

About UCare

UCare is an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health care and administrative services to more than 130,000 members in 80 Minnesota counties. UCare provides health care programs for people with Medicare: UCare for Seniors, a Medicare Advantage product; Minnesota Senior Health Options, a program for seniors with Medical Assistance but who may or may not be eligible for Medicare; UCare Complete, a Minnesota Disability Health Options (MnDHO) program for people with physical disabilities; and Partners Choice Network, a MnDHO pilot program for people with developmental disabilities. UCare also offers income-based health programs to people enrolled in Minnesota Health Care Programs, including Prepaid Medical Assistance, Prepaid General Assistance Medical Care, MinnesotaCare, and Minnesota Senior Care. For more information, visit www.ucare.org.

Source: Business Wire

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