Louisville, KY – University Health Care dba Passport Health Plan (PHP) has been awarded a contract by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to become a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan. The plan, “Passport Advantage” will cover members who are aged, blind, and disabled eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Current Passport Health Plan members do not need to take any action to be enrolled in the new plan that offers Ø premium and the same provider network, pharmacy network, and prescription drug formulary they have now with Passport.
As a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan, Passport will work with providers to manage both Medicare and Medicaid benefits including the pharmacy benefit, thereby enhancing continuity of care for these dual eligible members. Passport Health Plan has coordinated Medicaid and pharmacy benefits for 12,000 members dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare for eight years. This will be Passport’s first opportunity to coordinate the Medicare benefit.
“We have demonstrated improvements in health outcomes and quality of life for these members by offering disease management and case management programs while providing cost savings to the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Larry N. Cook, Chairman of the University Health Care Board of Directors. “We look forward to extending these services on the Medicare side as well.”
As a result of the Medicare Modernization Act, pharmacy benefits previously funded by State and Federal Medicaid programs will now be funded by Medicare effective January 1, 2006. Members enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare are Medicare eligible because they are 65 or older or qualified as disabled with Social Security. Current Passport Health Plan dual eligible members will not need to take any action to be enrolled in Passport Advantage, the new Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan.
University Health Care, Inc. dba Passport Health Plan provides Medicaid managed care services for over 135,000 members in Jefferson and the 15 surrounding counties. Counties of service include Breckinridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Washington. The National Committee for Quality Assurance designated Passport Health Plan as receiving excellent accreditation. University Health Care, Inc. dba Passport Health Plan contracts with AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan of Philadelphia to administer the program. With more than 20 years of experience exclusively serving the Medicaid population, AmeriHealth Mercy and its affiliates comprise the largest family of Medicaid managed care plans in the United States, touching the lives of more than 1.4 million members in eight states, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, California, and Arizona. AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan is a healthcare ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in affiliation with AmeriHealth HMO, Inc. |
