CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. announced that its standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) have been approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in all 50 states.
Three different plans -- PacifiCare Saver Plan, PacifiCare Comprehensive Plan and PacifiCare Select Plan -- form the heart of PacifiCare’s PDP offering to Medicare-eligible seniors, retirees and other consumers across the United States, with coverage starting Jan. 1, 2006.
PacifiCare’s prescription drug plans offer a wide range in savings and choices 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.
Concurrently, PacifiCare will offer beneficiaries -- 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 plan offers broad access to brand-name and generic drugs and a national network of more than 50,000 pharmacies. Customers can realize additional savings by having their prescription drugs delivered to their homes via mail.
PacifiCare has signed contracts with CMS and will market its standalone PDPs nationwide -- in all 34 regions established by CMS -- under the brand name Prescription Solutions from PacifiCare. PacifiCare is qualified for auto-enrollment in 31 of 34 PDP regions, creating the opportunity to access up to 620,000 dual-eligible beneficiaries (i.e., beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid).
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 Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO or private fee-for-service 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 standalone 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 August, PacifiCare launched www.PartDandMe.com, an innovative, educational Web site designed to help seniors, caregivers and consumers learn more about the federal government’s new Part D program. Additionally, English- and Spanish-speaking customer-service representatives are available Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. (PT) and Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (PT) toll-free at (866) 91PARTD to answer questions and provide more educational information.
On Oct. 1, when health plans are able to begin marketing their standalone prescription drug plans, PacifiCare will announce specific details -- including premiums, co-payments and formularies -- of its PDP plans in each region. The www.PartDandMe.com Web site and toll-free customer-service line will also offer a benefit comparison, a tool to look up specific prescription drugs and a cost-estimator function.
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 www.pacificare.com.
PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.
CONTACT: Media Relations, Tyler Mason, +1-714-226-3530,tyler.mason@phs.com, or Investor Relations, Dan Yarbrough, +1-714-226-3540,dan.yarbrough@phs.com, both of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.
