UNICARE Announces New Health Plan Option for Iowa Medicare Beneficiaries; Plan Includes Generic...

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

NEWBURY PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 2004

UNICARE Life & Health Insurance Company (UNICARE) today announced the launch of SecurityChoice, an innovative and affordable health care plan for Medicare eligible individuals in

60 Iowa counties. (See below.) SecurityChoice is a Medicare+Choice approved Private-Fee-For Service (PFFS) plan with monthly premiums of $9 per month.(a) SecurityChoice offers coverage of medical care and services including hospital and physician services, inpatient hospital visits, emergency room services, and diagnostic tests including x-rays and laboratory services. In addition, the plan includes a generic prescription drug benefit.

"We are pleased to offer SecurityChoice in Iowa," said MaryLou Martin, UNICARE's general manager of senior services. "SecurityChoice provides a new option for individuals who are looking for affordable health insurance coverage to help fill the gaps that Medicare alone doesn't cover."

SecurityChoice plan enrollees may see any doctor or specialist of their choice as long the physician accepts Medicare payment and agrees to the plan terms and conditions. In addition, enrollees are able to see a specialist without a referral. Reimbursement to physicians under this plan is the same as the Medicare approved fee schedule. Both the Medicare Part A and Part B deductibles are covered. However, some services require a member co-pay, such as $10 for an office visit. The generic prescription drug benefit co-pays are $12 for a 30-day supply from a participating retail pharmacy and $30 for 90-day mail order supply.

UNICARE already offers SecurityChoice in several counties in seven additional states including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Medicare eligible individuals with both Parts A and B of Medicare who reside in Iowa may apply for the SecurityChoice plan as long as it is offered in their county of residence. To learn more about SecurityChoice, individuals may call UNICARE at 1-888-445-8916 (TTY/TDD 1-888-844-5530).

UNICARE serves 1.7 million medical members and is the national operating subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., the nation's second largest publicly traded health care company. WellPoint serves the health care needs of more than 15 million medical members and approximately 46 million specialty members. WellPoint offers 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.

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).

(a) Current monthly premium is in addition to the monthly Medicare Part B premium. Refer to the policy for complete list of coverage, conditions, restrictions, limitations and exclusions.

        SECURITYCHOICE AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING IOWA COUNTIES

Adair         Allamakee      Audubon          Boone        Buena Vista
Carroll       Cedar          Cerro Gordo      Cherokee     Clarke
Clay          Clayton        Dallas           Davis        Decatur
Delaware      Dickinson      Emmet            Fayette      Floyd
Franklin      Greene         Grundy           Hardin       Henry
Howard        Humboldt       Iowa             Jasper       Jefferson
Johnson       Keokuk         Kossuth          Linn         Louisa
Lucas         Lyon           Mahaska          Marion       Marshall
Mitchell      Muscatine      O'Brien          Osceola      Page
Palo Alto     Plymouth       Polk             Scott        Sioux
Story         Tama           Union            Van Buren    Washington
Wayne         Winnebago      Winneshiek       Woodbury     Worth