Medicare Advantage members have until June 30 to select a plan
DETROIT – Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a Michigan-based nonprofit health plan, is reminding Medicare beneficiaries that they can take advantage of enhanced benefits during a special enrollment period that runs through June 30. Because the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their ability to switch plans during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period earlier this year, Medicare beneficiaries have been granted a special enrollment period by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in which to select a new health plan.
“This is a good time for Medicare members to shop for a plan,” said Margaret Anderson, chief sales and marketing officer, HAP. “HAP has significantly expanded its offerings to make access to care easy and affordable while providing the benefits that our members want – and now need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits like our over-the-counter allowance and free home delivery of prescriptions make it possible for members to get the supplies they need without leaving home.”
HAP’s Medicare Advantage plans include the following:
- $0 premiums – HAP has HMO and PPO plans available, many with $0 premiums. Members have access to dental, vision, hearing and prescription benefits, as well as identity theft protection, which is critical as scammers are increasingly using the pandemic to take advantage of seniors.
- Cost-sharing waived – HAP is waiving all member cost-sharing for in-person primary care visits and in-person behavioral health visits through the end of the year. HAP is also waiving all member cost-sharing for telehealth visits through the end of the year. Medicare members will not be charged any copays, co-insurance or deductibles on visits made from May 1 through December 31, 2020, even if the visit is unrelated to COVID-19.
- Free home delivery of medications – HAP is offering free in-home delivery of medications, whether in-state or out-of-state, through Pharmacy Advantage. The standard shipping costs on medications are free. Learn more about HAP's home delivery options or call Pharmacy Advantage toll free at 1-800-456-2112.
- Over-the-counter allowance – HAP Medicare Advantage plans offer an over-the-counter allowance of up to $100 per quarter that can be used on items needed to maintain health and wellness such as facemasks, gloves, bandages, aspirin, blood pressure monitors, etc. These are ordered through a catalog and are delivered directly to a member’s home, making it a convenient way to obtain health essentials during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Deductible carryover – HAP’s deductible accumulator allows the amount already paid by a member toward their deductible this calendar year to carry over to their new HAP plan, so they don’t have to start over. This is true even for new members who are coming to HAP from another insurer. This could result in a substantial cost savings for those who have already paid a significant amount toward their deductible this year.
- Care management – HAP’s care management team specializes in helping Medicare members manage their chronic conditions, including diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension and COPD, in partnership with the member’s physician. This includes programs for making sure members take the proper prescriptions at the right time and real-time monitoring of blood glucose readings for members with diabetes.
Personalized outreach to vulnerable members impacted by COVID-19
Because Michigan has been so hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, HAP has made a commitment to conduct personalized outreach to its most vulnerable members, many of whom are Medicare Advantage members. HAP has worked with its technology partners to identify those members most at risk for experiencing negative effects of loneliness and isolation, including food insecurity and behavioral health issues. During April and May, HAP conducted more than 8,500 phone calls to its members to determine if they are in need of food or other services. For those in need of mental health support, HAP has provided access to behavioral health resources. For Medicare members who lack access to nutritious meals, HAP has expanded its partnership with Mom’s Meals to have two weeks’ worth of frozen, ready-to-heat balanced meals delivered to their home. This is two meals a day for 14 days.
“HAP’s initial partnership with Mom’s Meals provided meals for members with specific chronic conditions who had recently been discharged from the hospital,” said Anderson. “When the pandemic hit, we decided to expand this program to include our food-insecure Medicare members, knowing that they are among the most vulnerable; it’s safer for them to stay home and have food delivered to their home than to have to go to the grocery store. This is one example of HAP’s commitment to using our resources creatively to help those who need it the most.”
For more information on what HAP is doing to assist its members during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.hap.org.
About Health Alliance Plan
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to individuals and companies of all sizes. For 60 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives it touches. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid (through HAP Empowered Health Plan), Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, as well as personalized customer service. HAP is an operating unit of Henry Ford Health System, one of the nation’s leading health care systems. For more information, visit www.hap.org.
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Y0076_ALL 2020 COVID PR_M CMS ACCEPTED 6/09/2020