Medicare Must Approve Our Plan Each Year

Medicare (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) must approve each of our Medicare Advantage Plans each year. All Medicare Advantage Plans agree to stay in the program for a full year at a time. The contract is in effect for the months in which you are enrolled in the Plan between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. You can continue to get Medicare coverage as a member of our plan only as long as we choose to continue to offer the plan for the year in question and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services renews its approval of the plan. Even if a Medicare Advantage Plan leaves the program, you will not lose Medicare coverage. If a plan decides not to continue, it must send you a letter at least 90 days before your coverage will end. The letter will explain your options for Medicare coverage in your area.

Until Your Membership Ends, You Are Still A Member Of Our Plan

Ending your membership in our Plan may be voluntary (your own choice) or involuntary (not your own choice). See Chapter 10 of the Evidence of Coverage for your specific Plan to find out more information about ending your membership in our Plan. The Evidence(s) of Coverage for all of the Plans we offer can be found under the Benefits Overview 2011 section of the website.

If you leave our Plan, it may take time before your membership ends and your new Medicare coverage goes into effect. During this time, you must continue to get your medical care and prescription drugs through our plan.

• You should continue to use our network pharmacies to get your prescriptions filled until your membership in our plan ends. Usually, your prescription drugs are only covered if they are filled at a network pharmacy including through our mail-order pharmacy services.
• If you are hospitalized on the day that your membership ends, your hospital stay will usually be covered by our plan until you are discharged (even if you are discharged after your new health coverage begins).

Where Can You Get More Information?

For more information contact Member Services at 1-888-540-7226. We are available to help you between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., seven days a week. TYY users call: 1-800-367-8939.