United HealthCare to expand managed care coverage to beneficiaries in Cleveland

     The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently approved a request by United HealthCare Insurance Co. to expand managed care coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in Cleveland and Akron.  Beginning February 1, 2002, United HealthCare, based in Minneapolis, Minn. will start serving coverage.  The plan will give Cleveland and Akron beneficiaries another health care option.  Two Medicare managed care plans, Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Senior Advantage currently serve these areas.  QualChoice Medicare Prime and United HealthCare Medicare Complete are in Cuyahoga County, while SummaCare Secure and HomeTown SecureCare operate in Summit County.

     "We are pleased that United HealthCare Insurance Co. has decided to expand this health plan to include Medicare beneficiaries in the Akron and Cleveland areas," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said.  "The reality is, Medicare should provide all seniors - no matter where they live - with better health insurance options like those available to federal workers.  The President's principles for strengthening and modernizing Medicare will move us closer to that goal."