BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services today announced that HealthPartners is approved to offer prescription drug benefits under Part D of the Medicare legislation enacted by Congress in late 2003. The monthly premium for Part D coverage in HealthPartners' three standard plans will be below the national average premium of $32.20. Under Medicare rules, health plans cannot release details on premiums and benefits until Oct. 1, 2005. HealthPartners will mail information to 32,000 Medicare members in October.
"HealthPartners has been providing care for Medicare patients for twenty years and was one of the first plans in the nation to offer coverage through Medicare. We are pleased to have the opportunity to now offer prescription drug coverage to our members," said Donna Zimmerman, HealthPartners vice president of government and community relations. HealthPartners is hosting community meetings to answer questions about Medicare and HealthPartners products. A schedule can be found at: http://www.healthpartners.com/portal/450.html or call 952-883-5601 or 1-800 247-7015 or TTY: 952-883-6060.
HealthPartners is authorized to offer the new drug benefit to individuals through four options that include Classic, which combines prescription drug coverage with medical coverage, Freedom Rx and Freedom Rx enhanced, and Minnesota Senior Health Options for low-income beneficiaries.
Tips for enrolling
Sign up during enrollment period
The drug benefit is voluntary, but anyone who does not enroll between Nov. 15 and May 15, 2006 may pay higher premiums if they enroll at a later date. For each month after May 15, 2006 beneficiaries may pay one percent more in monthly premiums for life. The penalties are designed to encourage people to enroll when they're relatively healthy instead of waiting until they become ill. For individual Medicare members who are currently enrolled in HealthPartners plans with drug coverage, HealthPartners will automatically enroll them in the new Part D program at a lower cost than what they are currently paying. HealthPartners will send a personalized letter with details to these beneficiaries in October.
Contact your former employer
By Nov. 15, 2005 beneficiaries should receive a letter from their former employer with details regarding their 2006 retiree coverage. Many retiree plans have drug coverage that is more generous than Medicare and enrolling in an individual Part D plan could cause them to lose their employer's retiree plan.
Consider quality
"Beneficiaries, especially those with chronic conditions, should consider how plans perform because high quality care can significantly reduce medical complications and expenses," said Zimmerman. Last December, the National Committee for Quality Assurance Health ranked HealthPartners among the top ten highest quality Medicare plans in the nation for conditions including, diabetes, heart disease and depression.
About HealthPartners
HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) is the largest consumer-governed, non-profit health care organization in the nation with commercial and Medicare Advantage plans that received the highest rating of "Excellent" from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
HealthPartnersCONTACT: Patricia Lund of HealthPartners, +1-952-883-5308, or cell,+1-612-618-1273, or patricia.a.lund@healthpartners.com
