10 Mobile Education Centers to make nearly 500 visits through October
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) today
launched a 496-stop, cross-country educational campaign designed to help
Medicare beneficiaries understand upcoming changes in Medicare. As part of
Humana's "Let's Talk" campaign, a fleet of recreational vehicles (RVs) will
travel throughout the United States to reach people in their own
neighborhoods.
Humana employees and people eligible for Medicare helped launch the RVs
today from the company's Louisville headquarters. The first RV tour
destinations include community and senior centers, where Humana Medicare
advisors will be on hand to help educate beneficiaries about the coming
Medicare changes.
The changes, which include the much-anticipated Medicare prescription drug
coverage program and regional PPO programs, were created under the Medicare
Modernization Act of 2003, and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2006.
Beneficiaries eligible for Medicare Parts A or enrolled in Part B can join a
prescription drug plan (PDP). Most will not be enrolled automatically and must
select a PDP (either stand-alone or integrated with a Medicare health plan or
Private Fee-for-Service Plan) to receive coverage.
"Helping educate people with Medicare about the changes they will be
facing with their prescription drug options is a priority at Humana," said
Steve Brueckner, vice president of senior products for Humana. "Through our
'Let's Talk' education RV tour, we are able to help people with Medicare
better understand what decisions they need to make in the coming months. It
comes down to guidance - making sure they feel confident that, when the time
comes, they will have the information to help them choose the coverage that's
right for them. That is what Humana, and this tour, are all about."
The RVs, functioning as mobile education vehicles, will visit
approximately 500 community and senior centers as well as Wal-Mart, Sam's Club
and Neighborhood Market stores across the country. Visitors will receive
literature approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS),
which administers the Medicare program. They can take advantage of free
consultations providing information about the new changes in Medicare,
important dates leading up to the enrollment process, steps they need to
follow to prepare for enrollment choices in the fall and numbers to call for
additional information.
"These changes mark the biggest transformation Medicare has ever undergone
in its 40-year history. While it is very exciting, we know it can also be
confusing for beneficiaries," said Scott Latimer, M.D., Central Florida market
president of senior products at Humana. "We know from our 20 years of
experience in Medicare that the more people understand their benefit options,
the more carefully they will choose and use their benefits. The RV tour
provides a unique opportunity for us to meet people where they are in their
communities and personally address any questions or concerns they may have."
Initial stops on the "Let's Talk" Medicare Education RV Tour include
Chicago; Ames, Iowa; Kansas City; Tampa and Sarasota, Fla.; and Harrisburg,
Pa.
About Humana Inc.
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is one of the nation's
largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately
7 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health
insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-
choice plans - to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and
individuals.
Over its 44-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to
meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer
engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health
plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the
Investor Relations page of the company's web site at http://www.humana.com,
including copies of:
- Annual report to stockholders;
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
- Most recent investor conference presentation;
- Quarterly earnings news releases;
- Replay of most recent earnings release conference call;
- Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates,
times, and access number, as well as planned interaction with
institutional investors);
- Corporate Governance Information.
SOURCE Humana Inc.
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http://www.humana.com
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CONTACT:
Tom Noland of Humana Corporate
Communications, +1-502-580-3674, or tnoland@humana.com
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