INScompanies Blog

Programs are designed to give employers the means to provide affordable coverage options

(05/18/2005) CHICAGO, Ill – UniCare is now offering BasicChoice, a new line of lower cost benefit plans designed to provide coverage for the most basic commonly used health care benefits. The plans should especially appeal to groups in the service industry that often have employees who are among the “working uninsured.”

“These lower-cost benefits are not intended to replace the traditional employer-paid comprehensive health plans that employers already have in place,” said David Fields, president and CEO of UniCare. “Rather, when large numbers of employees work in service-oriented positions and are not eligible for the company’s benefits program or can’t afford the company’s standard benefits program, then BasicChoice is the right choice for both the member and the employer. These programs can supplement existing options and give employers the means to provide an affordable option to employees who would not otherwise have health care coverage.”

BasicChoice offers most of the commonly used health care benefits, such as:

- Flexible medical plan options to include coverage for doctor visits and basic assistance with hospitalization expenses
- Access to many of the leading physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals from the UniCare PPO network
- Prescription drug coverage

The BasicChoice plan has three varying levels of coverage:

Level I Benefits Coverage is based on the UniCare indemnity product and includes outpatient benefits such as office visits, diagnostic and lab services, X-rays and emergency services, and inpatient benefits such as hospital stays and maternity. Annual benefit maximums for inpatient services are up to $15,000.

Level II Benefits Coverage utilizes UniCare’s Platinum Provider Network for increased savings when compared to standard PPO plans. With higher deductible options and some benefit modifications, BasicChoice Level II is an affordable option for those who prefer traditional PPO plans. Other benefits are:
- Outpatient benefits such as office visits, diagnostic and lab services, X-rays, emergency room visits, well child care, immunizations, outpatient surgery
- Preventive benefits such as mammogram screenings and pap smears
- Inpatient benefits such as maternity and hospital stays
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy, including chiropractic services
- Annual maximum options range from $10,000 to $100,000 
- Utilization of PPO network
 
Level III Benefits Coverage resembles UniCare’s standard PPO benefit plans. Benefits include:
- Wide range of deductible options
- Annual benefit maximums ranging from $50,000 to $100,000
- Outpatient benefits such as office visits, diagnostic and lab services, X-rays, emergency room visits, well child care, immunizations
- Preventive benefits such as mammogram screenings and pap smears
- Inpatient benefits such as maternity and hospital stays
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy, including chiropractic services
- Utilization of PPO network

The prescription drug benefit is one of the most important components of any benefits plan. With BasicChoice, the group can choose to provide one of three UniCare pharmacy benefit plans for its associates: 

Members pay a monthly fee to participate in the UniCare Discount program. With this pharmacy benefits option, BasicChoice members utilize UniCare’s network discounts with thousands of pharmacies across the country. 

The UniCare Generic Plan option covers generic prescription drugs only. Members pay a $10 copayment per generic prescription. 

UniCare’s YourChoiceRX combines the convenience, quality service and cost-saving features of a conventional UniCare prescription drug plan with the concept of reference pricing. A pricing methodology generally used in the purchase of prescription drugs, reference pricing provides four different levels of pharmacy benefits and three levels of co-payments for this plan. 

UniCare is a national operating subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., the nation’s largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company. WellPoint serves the health care needs of approximately 28.5 million medical members. UniCare can be found on the web at www.unicare.com.

Not all UNICARE products are available in all states where UNICARE is marketed. Insurance or health maintenance organization coverage is provided by any of the following: UNICARE Life & Health Insurance Company, UNICARE Health Insurance Company of the Midwest (IN and IL only) or UNICARE Health Plans of the Midwest, Inc. (HMO in IN and IL only), UNICARE Health Plans of Texas, Inc. (HMO in TX only), UNICARE Health Insurance Company of Texas (TX only), UNICARE Health Plan of Virginia, Inc. (HMO in VA only), UNICARE Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc. (HMO in WVA only). 

Contacts:     Media    
Deb Wiethop, (314) 923-4767, Deborah.Wiethop@wellpoint.com

Affordable, Quality Prescription Drug Plans for Medicare Beneficiaries Offered Nationwide

Oct. 3, 2005 - Chicago –UniCare Life & Health Insurance Company (UniCare) now offers Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans to eligible Medicare beneficiaries in all 50 states. These prescription drug plans are designed to help enhance affordability, increase access and provide exceptional value for Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.

Three UniCare MedicareRx Rewards plans are offered at different prices to meet the varying needs of Medicare beneficiaries. Monthly premiums vary based on plan selection and location:
• UniCare MedicareRx Rewards Value $17 to $31
• UniCare MedicareRx Rewards Plus $25 to $38
• UniCare MedicareRx Rewards Premier $34 to $51

Product highlights include:
• Cover both brand name and generic drugs
• All plans can be purchased independently or in conjunction with an existing health coverage plan
• Convenient access to prescription drugs through most retail pharmacies nationwide
• An option to obtain drugs via mail order pharmacy
• Services through a trusted, financially stable company

UniCare MedicareRx Rewards plans are available to:
• People who have Part A and/or Part B
• People who have purchased Medicare Supplemental coverage without pharmacy benefits
• People who have Medicare Supplemental coverage with drug coverage and want to discontinue the drug portion of their Supplemental coverage
• People who are turning 65 and/or becoming eligible for Medicare

“We are contributing to one of the most significant changes to Medicare history, said Susan Rawlings, Senior Vice President and President of Senior Services for UniCare. “We hope that by offering these new UniCare MedicareRx Rewards plans we can increase access and choice for Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.”

For more information about UniCare’s MedicareRx Rewards plans, please visit www.unicare.com or call 1-800-928-6201.
 Media Contact: Tony Felts
317-287-6036
Tony.felts@wellpoint.com

UNICARE CONTRACTS WITH JPMORGAN FOR HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS COMPATIBLE WITH HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS
FINANCIAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY ARCUS FINANCIAL

News Releases - July 21, 2004

CHICAGO, ILL. –UNICARE today announced it has arranged to have Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) provided by JPMorgan directly to eligible UNICARE members. UNICARE has arranged for ARCUS Financial, a division of ARCUS Enterprises, Inc., to provide services related to the opening and maintenance of these HSAs. UNICARE previously announced that it will be offering the High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) designed to be compatible with HSAs to individuals and group employees. HSA-enabling legislation became effective as part of the Medicare Prescription & Modernization Act signed by President Bush on December 8, 2003. 

HSAs are the latest “consumer-driven” strategy for managing the rising costs of health care expenses. HSAs allow individuals and families who have qualified HDHPs to put aside money in a tax-exempt HSA account to cover their qualified medical expenses. Individuals who purchase or enroll in an HDHP can make a pre-tax annual contribution to an HSA of up to $2,600 with families allowed a maximum contribution of $5,150. Individual purchasers are not eligible for an HSA if they qualify for Medicare, are covered under another person’s tax return or are covered as an individual, spouse or dependent under another comprehensive health plan that is not an HDHP.

“The relationship between ARCUS Financial Services, JPMorgan and UNICARE will provide greater financial flexibility for individual consumers, employers, employees and their families to meet their increasing health and welfare needs in new, practical ways,” said Denny Weinberg, CEO of ARCUS Enterprises. “We value these types of joint development relationships that result in break-through ideas and products—ideas that will lead and shape our business for years to come.”

HSA advantages for consumers include: 
 Tax-deductible contributions 
 HSA account interest is tax-deferred 
 HSA withdrawals can be used to pay for any qualified medical expense 
 HSAs are portable and owned by the individual; contributions cannot be taken away 
 Unspent balances carry over and can accumulate over a lifetime to be used at retirement to pay for uncovered medical expenses. (However, consumers may not contribute once they reach age 65.) 
 HSAs may be passed on to a surviving spouse tax free if the account holder should pass away 

“As a leading financial services provider to the health care industry, JPMorgan is pleased to be providing this new health care financing option to UNICARE members,” said John Prince, senior vice president, JPMorgan Treasury Services. “JPMorgan is committed to developing new solutions to meet the needs of health care entities and to provide less expensive, more efficient and accurate tools for processing health care transactions.”

According to Sandra Van Trease, president of UNICARE, “Employers and consumers will benefit from having more options for managing their health care spending. They look to UNICARE to provide innovative products that offer flexibility, cost savings and tax advantages. Health Savings Accounts are yet another important financial resource that we’re pleased to offer as a direct service to our members.”

For more information on HDHPs and other UNICARE products, consumers may call their local agent for Individual & Small Employer Groups (less than 50 employees). Large Group consumers should contact their broker or their UNICARE sales representative. 

UNICARE and its affiliates offer a broad spectrum of quality network-based health products including open access PPO, POS and hybrid products, HMO and specialty products. Specialty products include pharmacy benefit management, dental, utilization management, vision, mental health, life and disability insurance, long term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, COBRA administration, and Medicare supplements. UNICARE can be found on the web at www.unicare.com.

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.1 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and businesses, financial transaction processing, asset and wealth management, and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. has its corporate headquarters in New York and its U.S. retail financial services and commercial banking headquarters in Chicago. Under the JPMorgan, Chase and Bank One brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available on the Internet at www.jpmorganchase.com.

UNICARE High Deductible Health Plans are not HSAs. The HSA, which must be established for tax-advantaged treatment, is a separate arrangement between the individual and a bank or other qualified institution. You must be an eligible individual under IRS regulations to receive HSA tax benefits. The IRS has not yet issued HSA or High Deductible Health Plan regulations or determined that UNICARE High Deductible Health Plans are qualified. Consultation with a tax advisor is recommended. 
 
Contacts:
Deb Wiethop
314.923.4767
deborah.wiethop@wellpoint.com