HealthMetrix Research Selects 2009 Medicare Advantage Plans for Best Overall Benefit Value

HealthMetrix Research Selects 2009 Medicare Advantage Plans for Best Overall Benefit Value

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Medicare Advantage plans in 87 cities will be recognized for best overall value in the design of their 2009 medical and Part D prescription drug benefits for seniors. The 2009 Senior Choice Gold Award recipients were selected from over 200 Medicare managed care plans based on independent cost-sharing comparisons conducted annually by HealthMetrix Research Inc. and MedicareNewsWatch.com. According to HealthMetrix Research Inc. president Alan Mittermaier:

"These forward-looking independent comparisons provide Medicare beneficiaries with true out-of-pocket costs associated with joining a Medicare Advantage plan. Each award recipient has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in the design of their 2009 Medicare plan benefits, copayments, deductibles and premiums including the Part D prescription drug benefits. HealthMetrix Research applauds these organizations and we are confident that informed seniors can rely on the Senior Choice Gold Award recognition when selecting a Medicare Advantage plan during the 2009 enrollment season."

The award criteria were based on 2009 benefits and cost-sharing approved by Medicare for the selected plans. Estimated annual out-of-pocket costs consider beneficiaries' health status (healthy, episodic, chronic) and utilization of the most common health plan benefits (physician office visits, emergency care, hospital care, prevention care, prescriptions). HealthMetrix Research cost-sharing comparisons for over 100 cities are available at www.MedicareNewsWatch.com. HealthMetrix Research neither recommends nor endorses specific Medicare plans.

   Contact:   Alan Mittermaier     614-236-8345     614-236-8034  Fax      2009 Senior Choice Gold Award Recipients    East   Albany                             Fidelis Care   Allentown                          Unison Health Plan   Atlanta                            WellCare   Boston-Worcester                   Secure Horizons   Bradenton-Sarasota                 Optimum Healthcare   Buffalo                            WellCare   Charleston                         Southeast Community Care   Fort Lauderdale                    Optimum Healthcare   Fort Myers                         Optimum Healthcare   Greensboro                         Coventry Health Care   Greenville-Spartanburg             Southeast Community Care   Harrisburg                         Unison Health Plan   Hartford-Bridgeport                WellCare   Jacksonville                       Optimum Healthcare   Lakeland                           Optimum Healthcare   Miami                              Summit Health Plan   New Haven                          Secure Horizons   New Jersey        (Bergen, Ocean)  Secure Horizons    (Essex, Hudson, Middlesex,     Passaic, Union)                  WellCare   New York City  (Bronx,             Liberty Health Advantage    Kings, Manhattan, Nassau,    Queens, Staten Island)                          (Rockland)  Fidelis Care                           (Suffolk)  HIP                       (Westchester)  Touchstone Health   Ocala                              Optimum Healthcare   Orlando                            Optimum Healthcare   Pensacola                          Optimum Healthcare   Philadelphia                       Bravo Health   Pittsburgh                         Unison Health Plan   Providence                         Secure Horizons   Raleigh                            Coventry Health Care   Richmond                           Secure Horizons   Rochester                          WellCare   Savannah                           WellCare   Tallahassee                        Freedom Health   Syracuse                           Touchstone Health   Tampa-St. Petersburg               Optimum Healthcare   Washington DC                      Bravo Health   West Palm Beach                    Quality Health Plans    Midwest   Akron-Canton                       WellCare   Baton Rouge                        Humana   Champaign-Urbana                   WellCare   Chattanooga                        Windsor Health Group   Chicago-Joliet                     WellCare   Cincinnati                         WellCare   Cleveland                          WellCare   Columbus                           WellCare   Des Moines                         Coventry Health Care   Fort Wayne                         WellCare   Grand Rapids                       Secure Horizons   Jackson, MS                        Windsor Health Group   Kansas City                        Coventry Health Care   Knoxville                          Windsor Health Group   Indianapolis                       WellCare   Little Rock                        Physicians Health Choice   Louisville                         Essence Healthcare   Memphis                            Unison Health Plan   Milwaukee                          Today's Health   Minneapolis-St. Paul               UCare Minnesota   Mobile                             HealthSpring   Nashville                          Windsor Health Group   Omaha                              Coventry Health Care   St. Louis                          WellCare   South Bend                         WellCare   Springfield-Joplin                 Coventry Health Care   Wichita                            Coventry Health Care    West   Austin                             Physicians Health Choice   Bakersfield                        GEMCare   Colorado Springs                   Colorado Access   Corpus Christi                     Physicians Health Choice   Dallas-Fort Worth                  WellCare   Denver                             Kaiser Permanente   Flagstaff                          Desert Canyon Community Care   Fresno                             Aetna   Honolulu                           WellCare   Houston                            WellCare   Las Cruces                         Physicians Health Choice   Las Vegas                          Humana   Los Angeles  (Los Angeles County)  Citizens Choice Healthplan                     (Orange County)  Citizens Choice Healthplan                  (Riverside County)  Care1st             (San Bernardino County)  Care1st                    (Ventura County)  Aetna   Oakland-Walnut Creek               Secure Horizons   Phoenix                            CIGNA   Reno                               Health Plan of Nevada   Sacramento                         Secure Horizons   Salt Lake City                     Humana   San Antonio                        WellCare   San Diego                          Care1st   San Francisco                      Secure Horizons   San Jose                           CareMore   Spokane                            Secure Horizons   Tucson                             Humana   Tulsa                              Generations Healthcare   Yakima & Tri-Cities                Community HealthFirst  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: HealthMetrix Research Inc.

CONTACT: Alan Mittermaier, HealthMetrix Research Inc., +1-614-236-8345,
+1-614-236-8034 Fax

Web site: http://www.medicarenewswatch.com/

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