NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Medicare y Mucho Mas (MMM), an Aveta company and Puerto Rico's leading provider of Medicare Advantage services, has expanded its health plan offerings with the introduction of two new Special Needs Plans (SNPs) and the addition of Part D prescription drug benefits to its new and existing plans.
Effective January 1, 2006, MMM began offering Puerto Rico's first and only Medicare Advantage SNP serving chronically ill beneficiaries. The plan is specially designed to meet the healthcare needs of those with chronic illnesses, including congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); pre-end stage renal disease (kidney failure) and diabetes. MMM is one of only 11 organizations authorized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer SNPs for the chronically ill.
Also effective January 1, 2006, MMM launched a special needs plan for dual-eligible Medicare Advantage beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and low-income healthcare benefits under Puerto Rico's Reforma program.
Both of MMM's new SNPs include a Part D Medicare prescription drug coverage benefit with zero premiums. Zero-premium Part D prescription drug coverage has also been added to MMM's existing "Basico" Medicare Advantage plan, which already includes no co-pay and no deductibles, and to its "Flex" plan for employed group retirees and government retirees.
MMM's new and existing plans are based on the company's innovative community medical management approach, which stresses both prevention and quality medical care, and teams each beneficiary with a care manager to ensure that their healthcare and treatment needs are effectively met.
"MMM has pioneered the provision of Medicare Advantage services in Puerto Rico and our new offerings and expansion of benefits reflect our ongoing commitment to innovation in meeting the healthcare needs and improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries we serve," said Mr. Julio F. Julia, President of MMM Healthcare, Inc.
About MMM Healthcare, Inc.
Serving more than 100,000 beneficiaries, MMM is Puerto Rico's leading provider of Medicare Advantage health plans with more than 600 employees and a network of more than 5,000 healthcare professionals. Launched in 2000, Medicare y Mucho Mas was the first CMS-contracted Medicare Advantage plan in Puerto Rico and now serves beneficiaries in all 78 of Puerto Rico's municipalities.
About Aveta Inc.
Aveta is one of the largest companies focusing on Medicare Advantage and a leader in addressing the unique healthcare needs of the chronically ill. Caring for over 130,000 Medicare beneficiaries, Aveta is the 5th largest for-profit Medicare Advantage enterprise, and operates more Chronic SNPs than any other company. Aveta has a successful track record of managing care for seniors achieved through its core competency of community medical management. Aveta is headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey and currently has operating subsidiaries in Southern California, Puerto Rico, and Illinois.