Alameda County Seniors And Disabled People Get Affordable And Convenient Health Care

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 04 Feb 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Seniors and disabled people in Alameda County are getting health care that is affordable and convenient, thanks to a new program called Alliance CompleteCare, offered by the Alliance for Health. The program is available to seniors and disabled people who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. The Alliance began serving CompleteCare members on January 1, 2008. 300 Alameda County residents have already joined.

Alliance CompleteCare is a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) that combines Medicare, Medi-Cal and Part D drug benefits. Special coverage for those covered by both Medicare and Medi-Cal is important because the benefits offered through these two programs often overlap and have different rules and limits. It can be hard to understand what's covered or which program will pay.

Alliance CompleteCare solves these problems by combining the benefits into one easy-to-use plan. A personal Care Advisor is assigned to everyone who joins the plan. Care Advisors coordinate the health care services that each member needs, and help members get the most from the benefits available.

"Alliance CompleteCare is a new program, but we are not new to the community," said Ingrid Lamirault, CEO for the Alliance. "We've been serving lower-income seniors and others in Alameda County for more than a decade. With this new offering, we'll continue to deliver high quality health care that our members need and deserve."

Alliance CompleteCare members can choose from more than 180 primary care physicians located throughout Alameda County. Members also have access to nearly 350 specialists including cardiologists, podiatrists, optometrists, gastroenterologists, and others. Prescriptions can be filled at over 200 local pharmacies or through the mail. Every hospital in Alameda County is part of the Alliance CompleteCare network. Transportation assistance is offered to plan members.

To further enhance access for members, the Alliance recently opened a community outreach office in downtown Oakland. This new facility makes it even easier for members to meet face-to-face with Alliance CompleteCare representatives. Information about program benefits and resources is now available via a new Web site: http://www.alliancecompletecare.org. The site was launched earlier this month. Additionally, the organization has unveiled a new corporate logo that visually reflects a renewed commitment to the community.

"As we continue to grow our Alliance CompleteCare membership, we'll proactively add to our provider network," said Lamirault. "And we'll continue to enhance the services we offer because we're committed to maintaining - and even improving - the health and well-being of every Alliance CompleteCare member."

About the Alliance

Established in 1996, Alameda Alliance for Health is a local, not-for-profit, state-licensed health plan committed to making high quality health care services accessible and affordable to low income residents in Alameda County.

The Alliance is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of its members and currently provides comprehensive health care services to over 90,000 Alameda County residents through programs that include Alliance CompleteCare, Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Healthy Kids and Alliance Group Care.

http://www.alliancecompletecare.org