Humana will assist the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in providing access to health and prescription benefits for about 16,000 Medicare members of the MD Medicare Choice (MDMC) plan in 23 Florida counties.
"We have taken the necessary steps to make certain these Medicare members will continue to have access to their physicians, medical facilities and prescription drugs," said Terry G. Smith, MD, Humana's chief Medicare medical officer in Florida.
According to reports, MDMC's contract with CMS was terminated Sept. 29, 2008 by the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Court in and for Leon County, Fla., which placed MDMC into receivership. The Florida Department of Financial Services then began a liquidation of the plan.
Officials said MDMC members will be enrolled in a comparable Humana Medicare plan and will receive medical and prescription drug benefits similar to the benefits they received through MDMC.
Humana will allow former MDMC members to continue to see their current providers, including both primary care providers and specialists, whether they are in or outside the applicable Humana plan network, until Dec. 31, 2008. Until that time, former MDMC members will pay in-network cost-sharing when using out-of-network providers.
"Humana has a long and proven history of being a trusted provider for more than 450,000 seniors throughout Florida. We work very hard to offer our members guidance, exceptional service and first-class benefits," said Michael A. Seltzer, CEO of Humana Medicare and Medicaid in South Florida. "We look forward to the opportunity of building a lasting and trusting relationship with our new members."
Humana does not anticipate the increase in membership to materially change its financial performance for the year ending Dec. 31, 2008.
How is the change to Humana effecting your MDMC patients? Send your comments to Associate Editor Chelsey Ledue at chelsey.ledue@medtechpublishing.com.