PacifiCare to Expand Secure Horizons Private Fee-for-Service Plans to 1,500 Counties in 2006; Part D Prescription Drug Coverage
27 Settembre 2005 - 4:01PM
PR Newswire (US)
* Expansion Brings Affordable, Flexible Health Care Coverage to
Medicare Beneficiaries in 49 States and the District of Columbia
CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PacifiCare
Health Systems Inc. (NYSE:PHS) announced that it has received
approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) to offer its new Medicare private fee-for-service health
plans in 49 states and the District of Columbia, covering more than
1,500 counties. PacifiCare introduced its Medicare private
fee-for-service plans in July and began enrollment Sept. 1. Called
SecureHorizons(C) Direct(SM), the plans initially launched in more
than 800 counties in 16 states. Beneficiaries who reside in the
additional 33 states and the District of Columbia are eligible for
coverage effective Jan. 1, 2006. Members who sign up for
SecureHorizons Direct are also eligible to enroll in PacifiCare's
new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. Medicare
beneficiaries can choose among eight different SecureHorizons
Direct medical benefit plan designs -- depending on their county of
residence -- with three plans having a $0 monthly plan premium. All
plans provide an annual limit on out-of-pocket costs for members.
In addition, all of the Basic plans include low office visit
co-payments, ranging from $5 to $12 for a primary care physician
visit and $20 to $25 for a visit to a specialist. The Premier plans
offer first-dollar coverage on physician and hospital services.
Members can receive covered services from any Medicare-eligible
provider throughout the United States regardless of where they
live. SecureHorizons Direct members also have access to
PacifiCare's Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Available
nationwide -- in all 34 regions established by CMS -- and marketed
under the brand name Prescription Solutions from PacifiCare,
SecureHorizons Direct members can choose from three different plans
-- PacifiCare Saver Plan, PacifiCare Comprehensive Plan and
PacifiCare Select Plan -- with coverage starting Jan. 1, 2006.
PacifiCare's prescription drug plans offer a wide range in savings
and choice of benefit options intended to meet individual needs,
and each plan has no annual deductible. The range in monthly
premiums reflects the variety of benefits offered and the variation
in utilization in each region of the country, with premiums ranging
from $19.02 to $34.88 for the Saver Plan, from $33.91 to $54.51 for
the Comprehensive Plan, and from $29.64 to $47.61 for the Select
Plan. "Recent consumer surveys have shown us that seniors want more
choice and fewer out-of-pocket costs," said Kathy Feeny, executive
vice president of Secure Horizons Senior Solutions. "The
SecureHorizons Direct plan enhances our current product portfolio,
which includes Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans,
and allows us to bring comprehensive medical coverage and
preventive health programs at an affordable price to Medicare
beneficiaries, particularly to those in rural areas of the country.
Now with the option of enrolling in a Part D plan, seniors who
appreciate the flexibility of a private fee-for-service health plan
can now realize additional savings and choice in their prescription
drug benefit." In addition to comprehensive medical and
prescription-drug benefits, PacifiCare will offer its
SecureHorizons Direct members -- for an additional $5 a month --
the opportunity to purchase a PacifiCare dental and vision plan
that offers discounts ranging from 20 to 70 percent on exams and
procedures. In addition, each Part D prescription drug plan offers
broad access to brand-name and generic drugs and a national network
of more than 50,000 pharmacies. SecureHorizons Direct members can
realize additional savings by having their prescription drugs
delivered to their homes via mail. Through the Medicare Part D
prescription drug benefit, Medicare beneficiaries are guaranteed
access to prescription drugs. Those enrolled in traditional
Medicare can sign up for the Part D benefit as a standalone PDP or
choose to enroll in a private fee-for-service plan like
SecureHorizons Direct and enroll in a complementary Part D
prescription drug plan. The first open-enrollment period for
standalone PDPs begins Nov. 15, 2005, and runs through May 15,
2006. "For the first time in Medicare's 40-year history, seniors
will have access to a prescription drug benefit, and we are excited
about the opportunity to offer Medicare beneficiaries nationwide
the kind of flexible and affordable prescription drug benefits they
have been asking for," said Howard Phanstiel, PacifiCare's chairman
and chief executive officer. "We believe that seniors will
appreciate Prescription Solutions from PacifiCare's combination of
choice, value and flexibility, and we look forward to continually
delivering innovative senior health care coverage solutions as we
have for more than 20 years." In 1985, PacifiCare's Secure Horizons
Plan 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 approximately 730,000 members. Medicare
beneficiaries interested in learning more about the new
SecureHorizons Direct plan can call 800-592-9777 or visit
http://www.securehorizons.com/. PacifiCare Health Systems is one of
the nation's largest consumer health organizations with nearly 3.3
million health plan members and approximately 11.3 million
specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals,
employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven
health care and life insurance products. Today PacifiCare is the
nation's second-largest senior health insurance company with more
than 20 years' experience delivering affordable, quality health
care coverage to America's seniors. PacifiCare's specialty plan
operations include behavioral health and dental and vision, as well
as complete pharmacy benefit management with more than a decade of
experience specializing in the senior prescription-drug market.
More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at
http://www.pacificare.com/. DATASOURCE: PacifiCare Health Systems
Inc. CONTACT: Cheryl Randolph, +1-714-226-3441, , or Dan Miller,
+1-714-226-3726, , both Media Relations of PacifiCare Health
Systems Inc. Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/ Web site:
http://www.securehorizons.com/
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