• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Fastest-Growing Medicare Advantage Plan in U.S. In 2004: 100,000 Seniors in Arizona Choose Secure Horizons As Their Medicare Advantage Health Plan

Posted on: Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 12:00 CST

PHOENIX, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In Arizona, the nation's fastest-growing Medicare Advantage health plan in 2004 is celebrating its 100,000 members.

"We are thrilled with the tremendous results our Medicare Advantage plan has achieved in Arizona the past 15 months," said Kathy Feeny, executive vice president of Secure Horizons Senior Solutions for PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. . "We started off last year with approximately 85,000 members and ended with more than 100,000. We are committed to carrying this momentum through 2005. Today we have more than 103,000 members enrolled."

PacifiCare will celebrate its 100,000-member mark by hosting an event Friday, March 18, at Camelback Inn, 5402 E. Lincoln Dive in Scottsdale. The celebration will begin at 5 p.m. and include remarks from PacifiCare executives and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon as well as a special appearance from two familiar faces that are featured in PacifiCare's distinctive "Charlie and Frank" ads.

As part of the celebration, PacifiCare will award a $10,000 grant to the City of Phoenix's Front Porch Bench Initiative to provide for benches at the 17 City of Phoenix senior centers. Established in April 2004 by Mayor Phil Gordon, the initiative provides benches to members of the community in order to improve the quality of life in Phoenix neighborhoods by encouraging residents to get to know their neighbors and actively participate in community crime-watch efforts.

In 1985, PacifiCare's Secure Horizons became one of the first Medicare health plans to be awarded a Medicare Advantage contract by the federal government. Twenty years later, Secure Horizons remains one of the nation's largest Medicare Advantage plans, offering competitive health care coverage and additional benefits to more than 705,000 members in eight Western states.

"PacifiCare has the expertise and experience to provide the kind of health care coverage that Arizona seniors demand," Feeny added. "In the wake of the most sweeping legislation in Medicare's 40-year history, we have the opportunity to better deliver on our brand promise to all Medicare beneficiaries that 'Caring is Good. Doing Something is Better.'"

PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation's largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 10 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare's commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare's specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy benefit management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/.

"Caring is Good. Doing Something is Better." is a service mark of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.

PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.

CONTACT: Tyler Mason of PHS Media Relations, +1-714-226-3530,tyler.mason@phs.com

Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

More News in this Category