HealthMetrix Research Selects Medicare Advantage Plans for Best Overall 2007 Benefit Value

HealthMetrix Research Selects Medicare Advantage Plans for Best Overall 2007 Benefit ValueWednesday November 1, 3:00 pm ET COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Medicare plans in 82 cities will be recognized for best overall value in the design of their 2007 medical and Part D prescription drug benefits for seniors. The 2007 Senior Choice Gold Award recipients were selected from over 200 Medicare Advantage managed care plans based on independent cost-sharing comparisons conducted annually by HealthMetrix Research Inc. and MedicareNewsWatch.com. According to HealthMetrix Research Inc. president Alan Mittermaier:"These forward-looking independent comparisons provide Medicare beneficiaries with true out-of-pocket costs associated with joining a Medicare Advantage plan. Each award recipient has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in the design of their 2007 Medicare plan benefits, copayments, deductibles and premiums including the Part D prescription drug benefits. HealthMetrix Research applauds these organizations and we are delighted that informed seniors can rely on the Senior Choice Gold Award recognition when selecting a Medicare Advantage plan."The award criteria were based on 2007 benefits and cost-sharing approved by Medicare for the selected plans. Estimated annual out-of-pocket costs consider beneficiaries health status (healthy, episodic, chronic) and utilization of the most common health plan benefits (physician office visits, emergency care, hospital care, prevention care, prescriptions). HealthMetrix Research cost-sharing comparisons for over 100 cities are available at www.MedicareNewsWatch.com. HealthMetrix Research neither recommends nor endorses specific Medicare plans. Contact: Alan Mittermaier 614-236-8345 614-236-8034 Fax

2007 Senior Choice Gold Award Recipients

East

Albany Empire Blue Cross Allentown Unison Health Plan Baltimore Elder Health Boston Area (Essex county) Tufts Health Plan (Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk) Fallon Community Health Plan Bradenton Universal Health Care Buffalo Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western NY Charlotte Partners National Health Plans Fort Lauderdale HealthSun Universal Health Care Fort Myers Universal Health Care Greensboro Partners National Health Plans Greenville South East Community Care Jacksonville Quality Health Plans Universal Health Care Kissimmee Quality Health Plans Universal Health Care Miami Leon Medical Center Health Plan Universal Health Care New Jersey (Ocean, Sussex, Union) Aetna (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic) Unison Health Plan New York Metro (Bronx, Kings, Queens, Manhattan, Nassau, Staten Island) Liberty Health Advantage (Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester) GHI Health Plan Ocala Freedom Health Universal Health Care Orlando Freedom Health Pensacola PartnerCare Philadelphia Elder Health Pittsburgh Unison Health Plan Portland, ME Northeast Community Care Providence United HealthCare Raleigh Partners National Health Plans Rochester WellCare Sarasota Universal Health Care Savannah South East Community Care St. Petersburg Freedom Health Universal Health Care Tampa Freedom Health Universal Health Care Washington DC Elder Health West Palm Beach Universal Health Care Worcester Fallon Community Health Plan

Midwest

Akron/Canton The Health Plan Baton Rouge Peoples Health Birmingham VIVA Health Chicago WellCare Cincinnati Anthem Cleveland Anthem Dayton Anthem Des Moines Coventry Health Care Detroit Blue Care Network Fayetteville, AR Arkansas Community Care Kansas City Coventry Health Care Indianapolis Anthem Little Rock Arkansas Community Care Louisville Anthem Memphis Unison Health Plan Milwaukee Todays Health Minneapolis/St. Paul UCare Minnesota Mobile HealthSpring Montgomery VIVA Health New Orleans Peoples Health Peoria United Healthcare Toledo Anthem

West

Albuquerque Lovelace Health Plan Austin Texas Community Care Bakersfield Blue Cross of California Colorado Springs Secure Horizons/UnitedHealthcare Corpus Christi Physicians Health Choice Dallas/Fort Worth Secure Horizons/UnitedHealthcare Denver Kaiser Permanente El Paso Elder Health Fresno Secure Horizons/UnitedHealthcare Golden Aetna Houston Elder Health Las Vegas Health Plan of Nevada Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Orange) CareMore (Riverside, San Bernardino) Aetna Oakland Health Net Phoenix CIGNA Reno Health Plan of Nevada Sacramento Health Net San Antonio Humana San Diego SCAN San Francisco Health Net San Jose Secure Horizons/United Healthcare Santa Fe Lovelace Health Plan Spokane Spokane Community Care Tucson Health Net Tulsa CommunityCare HMO Vancouver Secure Horizons/United Healthcare Yakima/Tri-Cities Columbia Community Care

________________________________________Source: HealthMetrix Research Inc.

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