Statement on WellPoint's Re-Entry into Medicare Market
10 Septembre 2009 - 1:47AM
PR Newswire (US)
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WellPoint, Inc.
(NYSE: WLP) announced today it will begin marketing its 2010
Medicare Advantage and 2010 Medicare Part D health benefit plans
effective Oct. 1, 2009. WellPoint will begin enrolling
beneficiaries in its Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D health
benefit plans on Nov. 15, 2009 for the 2010 contract year. The
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined
that WellPoint has corrected deficiencies and has lifted marketing
and enrollment sanctions on Medicare Advantage and certain Medicare
Part D products. WellPoint will not receive new low income subsidy
auto-assigned members, however, low income subsidy members can
again choose WellPoint products during the upcoming Annual
Enrollment Period. WellPoint is pleased to once again offer
Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D products along with Medicare
Supplement products to Medicare beneficiaries. In addition,
WellPoint has received approval from CMS for its 2010 benefit plans
and is working with the broker community to educate them about
WellPoint's new product designs and benefit changes. "We are
committed to providing Medicare beneficiaries the choices they
expect and deserve including innovative coordinated care programs
that help to manage information between providers and focus on our
member's total well-being," said Brian Sassi, Executive Vice
President and Chief Executive Officer of WellPoint's Consumer
Business. "Additionally, in an effort to promote wellness for our
members, we offer a number of innovative wellness programs
including an exercise program specifically designed for our
Medicare beneficiaries' unique health and physical needs."
WellPoint views the Senior business as a growth opportunity for the
company and is committed to offering Medicare eligible
beneficiaries Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage and Medicare
Part D health benefit plans. WellPoint's health benefit plans are
designed to meet the needs of today's Medicare members as well as
the nearly 80 million baby boomers who will become Medicare
eligible by 2030. About WellPoint, Inc. WellPoint works to simplify
the connection between Health, Care and Value. We help to improve
the health of our communities, deliver better care to members, and
provide greater value to our customers and shareholders. WellPoint
is the nation's largest health benefits company, with more than 34
million members in its affiliated health plans. As an independent
licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint
serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue
Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia,
Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the
Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue
Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and
surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue
Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia
(excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.),
Wisconsin; and through UniCare. Additional information about
WellPoint is available at http://www.wellpoint.com/. DATASOURCE:
WellPoint, Inc. CONTACT: Jerry Slowey, +1-310-345-7531, or Janice
Kyser, +1-805-331-0890; and Investor Relations: Michael Kleinman,
+1-317-488-6713 Web Site: http://www.wellpoint.com/
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