Medicare News
| For Immediate Release: | Contact: |
| Thursday, March 22, 2001 | CMS Office of Public Affairs 202-690-6145 |
For questions about Medicare please call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov. |
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HMO PLAN EXPANDS TO INCLUDE MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES IN TWO NEW MEXICO COUNTIES
The Health Care Financing Administration today approved a request by Lovelace Health Plan Inc. to expand managed care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in Sandoval County and part of Torrance County in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., area.
Lovelace Health Plan, based in Albuquerque, can begin to serve Medicare beneficiaries on May 1, 2001, in northern Sandoval County and the central and western parts of Torrance County within the 87036 ZIP code, including the city of Mountainair. The Sandoval expansion covers eight ZIP codes including the towns of Cochiti Pueblo, Cuba and Jemez Pueblo (see attachment). The plan will now cover the entire Sandoval County and part of Torrance County.
"We are pleased that Lovelace Health Plan decided to expand its services in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe area," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "This expansion to the Medicare+Choice program gives Medicare beneficiaries, including senior citizens and people with disabilities, another health care option in addition to traditional fee-for-service Medicare."
About 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries live in Sandoval and Torrance counties. The beneficiaries in the newly approved parts of the two counties are currently served by other managed care plans. St. Joseph Medicare Plus is in both counties and Presbyterian Senior Care serves Sandoval County.
Lovelace Health Plan, which does business as Lovelace Senior Plan, also currently serves Medicare beneficiaries in the New Mexico counties of Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Valencia.
HCFA has now approved 68 applications for new or expanded service areas since the Medicare+Choice program began. In addition, 10 applications from managed care organizations seeking to serve beneficiaries in new or expanded service areas are currently under consideration.
Medicare+Choice HMOs and fee-for-service plans are available where private companies choose to offer them. Currently, about 5.6 million Medicare beneficiaries -- out of a total of nearly 40 million aged and disabled Americans -- have enrolled in Medicare HMOs. Original fee-for-service Medicare, currently chosen by more than 34 million beneficiaries, is available to all beneficiaries.
Congress created Medicare+Choice in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to expand the types of health care options available to Medicare beneficiaries, who in addition can now receive new preventive benefits and patient protections. There also is a far-reaching consumer information program that includes a national toll-free phone number -- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or TTY/TDD, at 1-877-486-2048 -- an Internet site -- www.medicare.gov -- and a coalition of more than 200 national and local organizations to provide seniors more information.
The ZIP codes in Lovelace Health Plan's newly approved service area in Sandoval County are: 87013, 87018, 87024, 87025, 87027, 87044, 87046, 87072.
