UCare, a nonprofit health plan and the longest-serving Medicare Advantage plan in Minnesota, recently unveiled its 2019 Medicare plan options, including a new point-of-service benefit, partner plans and comparable alternatives to Cost Plans, which will close at the end of the year and impact more than 300,000 Minnesotans.
A full list of UCare’s Medicare plan options for 2019 can be found at home.ucare.org/en-us/health-plans/medicare/ucare-medicare-plans/. Highlights include:
UCare Anywhere(SM) allows plan members to travel to any location within the United States for care and pay only in-network copay on routine care, including clinic and specialist visits, physical therapy and counseling services.
. New plan types: Total and Complete plans offer a range of options to meet the needs of Minnesotans satisfied by Cost Plans, designed to enable people to step up or down to other plans based on future health needs.
. New partner plans: UCare will offer Medicare plans with partners Fairview and North Memorial Health.
. Same reliable plans: With high member satisfaction, UCare offers many of the same great plans with access to 96 percent of Minnesota providers; in addition, its EssentiaCare partner plan will expand to three Wisconsin counties in 2019.
. Stable costs: From a $0 premium plan to more comprehensive coverage plans, there are choices for different budgets and health needs.
. Preferred pharmacy expansion: 200 new pharmacy chains added for increased prescription savings include Walmart, Hyvee, Lunds/Byerly’s, Allina Pharmacies and Park Nicollet.
The 2019 plan information is available October 1 for Medicare enrollees to start their research. They can begin enrolling or switching to new plans on October 15. Any changes made to coverage October 15 – December 7 will go into effect on January 1, 2019.
“Our team has years of experience helping people understand Medicare and choose plans that best fit their needs,” said Mark Traynor of UCare. “With new changes impacting so many Minnesotans this year, we’re encouraging eligible individuals to shop and compare – research online, attend a meeting or call a Medicare Specialist,” added Traynor. “As part of our mission at UCare to provide People Powered Health Plans, our team is ready to help you understand your options and what to look for in a Medicare plan.”
UCare makes it easy to order information kits and shop online. In an effort to further educate Minnesotans, the health plan is holding over 500 Medicare Meetups throughout the state to help individuals through the enrollment process, with personalized Medicare recommendations, enrollment questions and instructions. People interested in attending a Meetup can locate the event nearest them by visiting www.ucare.org/saveyourseat.
To learn more about UCare and its health plan options beyond Medicare, visit www.ucare.org.
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