Federal health care reform: What does it mean?
Below you’ll find answers to questions about how the federal health care reform law may impact the Medicare Advantage program.
If you have questions about your plan, please call Humana Customer Service at the toll free number on the back of your Humana insurance ID card.
What does reform mean for the Medicare Advantage program?
Health reform will not eliminate the Medicare Advantage program.
Health reform legislation cuts Medicare Advantage funding in future years to help pay for reform. That could eventually mean higher premiums, lower benefits or fewer plans to choose from in certain areas of the country.*
Despite these funding cuts, many Medicare Advantage plans offer unique and valuable solutions not found in original Medicare or Medicare Supplement plans. Examples include wellness programs, integrated prescription drug benefits, care coordination, health education tools, and disease management programs. These features should make Medicare Advantage an attractive program for the government and for many Medicare beneficiaries for years to come.
How will federal health care reform change the Medicare Part D prescription drug program?
Federal health care reform will gradually close Medicare Part D’s coverage gap, also known as the “donut hole,” by 2020. In 2011, there is a 50-percent discount from manufacturers on brand drugs in the coverage gap, and a 7-percent discount on generic drugs in the coverage gap.
What is Humana’s stance on health care reform and the federal health reform law?
*Medicare Advantage members receive specific information about their plan benefits each year in an Annual Notice of Change document, which is mailed to members in October. You can also visit Medicare’s official website, www.medicare.gov, for more information.