As the Annual Medicare Enrollment Period Nears, Humana Offering Affordable Plans That Make It Easy For People To Achieve Their Best Health

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As the annual Medicare enrollment period begins next Wednesday, Oct. 15, Humana Inc. HUM – one of the nation's most experienced Medicare companies – is focused on making it easy for people with Medicare to get the affordable coverage they need.

Humana, which has offered Medicare plans for 30 years, serves more than 6.7 million Medicare members in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The company is focused on simplifying health care for its members, offering personalized resources – such as health coaches – who help people with Medicare get and stay healthy.

“Humana Medicare members stay with us year after year because we offer the plans they need, at prices they can afford, with service from people they have come to trust,” said Alan Wheatley, President, Retail Segment at Humana. “We also work hard to educate our members so that they understand everything they get with Humana Medicare coverage, especially all of the personalized resources we have for our members.”

During the Medicare Annual Election Period, or AEP, people who qualify for Medicare select the coverage that best fits their individual lifestyles and can help boost their health and well-being. Humana offers a full range of Medicare plans including:

• Medicare Advantage plans: These plans cover all the benefits that Original Medicare covers, and more. Many plans include drug and medical coverage all in one plan to help members get more for their health care dollars.
• Medicare Prescription Drug plans: These plans can help members lower their out-of-pocket prescription costs.
• Medicare Supplement plans: Humana's Medicare Supplement plans help cover some of the costs not covered by Original Medicare Parts A and B, so enrollees have more predictable costs.

The enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 and is when Medicare beneficiaries select their coverage for 2015, with that coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2015. Medicare Supplement plan enrollment may take place year-round.

Medicare Advantage Plans

Humana offers Medicare Advantage (MA) plans across the U.S., featuring coverage and resources intended to help Humana Medicare members achieve their best health. Humana is also expanding its Medicare HMO and PPO coverage in 2015 into several areas where it hasn't recently offered MA plans.

New this year for individual Medicare members – for plans taking effect on Jan. 1, 2015 – is a Humana Member Assistance Program. The program will provide confidential guidance to help members deal with personal issues such as anxiety, stress, grief, loneliness, and depression. This service will be available around the clock for Humana MA members.

Many MA plans from Humana also include:

• Coverage for Medicare Parts A & B, with predictable copayments and no deductibles
• Part D prescription coverage
• Maximum out-of-pocket protection (on all Humana MA plans)
• Programs to improve health and manage chronic conditions
• Benefits for services that Medicare doesn't cover such as the SilverSneakers fitness program, routine eye exams, preventive dental care and over-the-counter medications
• $0 copayment for 90-day supplies of generic drugs received from Humana's RightSource mail-order pharmacy

“Humana's Medicare Advantage plans help people on a budget get the most out of their health care dollars,” said George Renaudin, President, Humana Medicare. “We work hard to simplify things for our members, and to provide a broad range of resources that they can use to help them achieve their best health and live the life they want to live.”

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

A Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) can help lower a member's prescription drug expenses and protect against higher future costs. Among Humana's most popular PDP offerings is the Humana Walmart Rx Plan (PDP), with more than 800,000 people currently enrolled in the plan. Introduced last year, the latest co-branded offering from Humana and Walmart has been the fastest growing plan in the country in 2014. It features:

• A premium of $15.60 to $15.70, one of the lowest in the nation for 2015
• Copayments for generic drugs that start at $1 with no deductible for preferred generic prescriptions filled at any Walmart, Sam's Club or Neighborhood Market pharmacy
• Copayments of $0 with no deductible for a 90-day supply of preferred generic drugs filled via Humana's mail-order pharmacy, RightSource
• Access for members to a large national network of pharmacies
• More than 1,500 generic prescriptions designed to help Medicare members save money

“We know Medicare can be complex. Humana is there for people with Medicare as they make plan decisions and evaluate coverage. Our goal is simple: we are focused on our members' personalized needs,” Renaudin said.

Well-Being Benefits and Programs for Members

Humana is committed to partnering with members to develop personalized wellness goals and reward members for meeting them. For instance, Humana offers MA members personalized health coaching services, partnering with our members in their health, every step of the way. Also in 2015, all Humana MA members can benefit from Humana Active Outlook, a health and wellness education program that includes Active Outlook^TM Magazine, a website with health and wellness information and online classes, and in-person classes in some markets.

As part of Humana's health partnership with its members, most Humana MA members enjoy access to programs that encourage healthy behaviors, such as rewards for healthy choices and activities from HumanaVitality; gym memberships through SilverSneakers; and the WellDine food program that delivers meals directly to members' homes following a hospitalization.

For more information about Humana's 2015 Medicare offerings, visit www.humana-medicare.com or call toll free 1-800-899-0441. (TTY: 711). Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a leading health and well-being company focused on making it easy for people to achieve their best health with clinical excellence through coordinated care. The company's strategy integrates care delivery, the member experience, and clinical and consumer insights to encourage engagement, behavior change, proactive clinical outreach and wellness for the millions of people we serve across the country.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at www.humana.com, including copies of:

• Annual reports to stockholders;
• Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
• Most recent investor conference presentations;
• Quarterly earnings news releases;
• Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls;
• Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors);
• Corporate Governance information.