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More Than Two Million Senior Americans Enrolling in First Month for UnitedHealth Group Medicare Drug Plans

Posted on: Thursday, 15 December 2005, 09:00 CST

In the first month of enrollment for the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program, more than two million Medicare beneficiaries are ready to participate in plans offered by UnitedHealth Group, subject to the final Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services enrollment process. The first month enrollment depicts strong interest in UnitedHealth Group drug plans, including the AARP Medicare Rx Plan. This response also comes as UnitedHealth Group provides new tools to help Medicare beneficiaries and their families make informed decisions about the new drug benefit.

Lois Quam, Chief Executive Officer of Ovations, the UnitedHealth Group business unit dedicated to serving older Americans said, "We are finding seniors understand that the value of Medicare's new prescription drug benefit outweighs the complexity. The drug benefit is now a part of the Medicare program and increasingly people see that it offers the health care security that Medicare has offered since 1965."

UnitedHealth Group has seen a sharp increase in online enrollment at www.aarpmedicarerx.com, the Web site for the AARP-endorsed prescription drug plan. Consumers are using the online tool to access the list of covered prescription drugs and pharmacies in the plan network, the monthly premium and co-pays, and complete the enrollment process. There is also strong interest in www.partdcentral.com, a Web site developed by UnitedHealth Group that provides adult children information they need to help their parent or loved one choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. The company is fielding high call volumes each day from consumers who are choosing to enroll in the UnitedHealth Group drug plans telephonically. The UnitedHealth Group first month enrollment includes individual, government-sponsored and employer-sponsored program participants in its stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans. The surge in interest comes weeks before the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program takes effect on January 1, 2006.

UnitedHealth Group has implemented outreach programs to make certain that individuals who are dual eligible or low income have the information they need to enroll in the new prescription drug program. These efforts are being launched in communities nationwide and include work with state agencies and local groups. Quam said, "We are working with low income advocacy organizations and other groups to provide information to individuals with lower incomes. This important work will continue throughout 2006."

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (www.unitedhealthgroup.com) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, Uniprise, Specialized Care Services and Ingenix. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 55 million individuals nationwide. The company's Medicare Prescription Drug Plans are underwritten by United HealthCare Insurance Company and its affiliates.

About Ovations

UnitedHealth Group's Ovations business serves 5 million senior Americans and participates in the Medicare program on a national basis, as well as across the full spectrum of Medicare offerings, including pharmaceutical discount cards, Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage plans, Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), private fee-for-service, Special Needs Plans for the chronically ill and frail elderly, and chronic care pilots.

Source: Business Wire

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