CYPRESS, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. is reaching out to fixed-income Medicare beneficiaries in Southern California with an expanded benefit plan called Secure Horizons Secure Gold.
Available June 1, Secure Gold is the first health plan of its kind approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in conjunction with Section 231 of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
The new Secure Gold plan features a $0 premium and is designed for fixed- income Medicare beneficiaries who want a health plan that has more benefits and is more affordable than original Medicare. For example, the plan design has no primary care physician office-visit copayments, low specialist and hospital copayments, generic and brand-name prescription drug coverage, and no-cost non-emergency medical transportation among its core benefits. In addition, members can receive routine dental and vision coverage, hearing aids and eyeglasses as well as caregiver support via PacifiCare’s A Solution for Caregivers.
“Recent consumer surveys have shown that 93 percent of seniors want more choice,” said Howard Phanstiel, chairman and chief executive officer of PacifiCare Health Systems. “For those who qualify, the Secure Horizons Secure Gold plan provides more affordable options with better benefits than original Medicare.”
Secure Gold is available to qualified Medicare beneficiaries in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California. Secure Gold utilizes PacifiCare’s Medicare+Choice (M+C) network, which includes nearly 20,000 providers. To qualify, Medicare beneficiaries must be enrolled in MediCal, the state’s Medicaid program that helps fixed- income seniors pay for some of the costs of participating in Medicare.
Recent CMS data report that 15 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are already enrolled in these state-sponsored Medicaid programs, but that as many as another 15 percent are qualified but have never applied. Secure Gold has a dedicated team available at 888-810-6605 that can help individuals determine whether they are eligible for these programs and apply for the state’s MediCal program if they qualify.
“Secure Horizons Medicare+Choice plans have provided seniors affordable health care benefits for years; Secure Gold goes a step further to reduce financial barriers to quality health care for those who qualify,” said Kathy Feeny, PacifiCare’s executive vice president of Secure Horizons Senior Solutions. “We believe that many of these seniors will appreciate Secure Gold because it offers more comprehensive benefits than original Medicare and all of the benefits of a Medicare+Choice plan -- and more -- with a lower out-of- pocket cost.”
Additionally, Secure Gold members are automatically enrolled in PacifiCare’s no-cost Drug Discount Program that saves members between 10 percent and 30 percent off the cost of their prescription drugs. Also, most Secure Gold members will be eligible for Medicare’s new transitional assistance benefit of up to $600 per year to cover their drug copayments as well as any medications not covered by the health plan.
Feeny added: “Secure Gold’s prescription drug coverage, combined with the $600 Medicare transitional assistance benefit and the Medicare-endorsed drug discount card -- all at no charge -- enable seniors to more easily afford their prescription drugs today. They don’t have to wait until Medicare includes a pharmacy benefit in 2006 to get relief from the increasing cost of prescription drugs. Secure Horizons is proving that health care coverage can be more affordable for seniors. It is a reflection of our theme 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 9 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 and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/.
PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.
CONTACT: Tyler Mason, PHS Media Relations, +1-714-226-3530,tyler.mason@phs.com, or Suzanne Shirley, PHS Investor Relations,+1-714-226-3470, suzanne.shirley@phs.com
Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/
