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5 Benefits of Medicare Advantage Plans
If you are approaching age 65, you may be starting to think about the government benefits you will soon qualify for. For example, your healthcare option to elect between Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. What’s the difference? Original Medicare comes in two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A covers a portion of hospitalization expenses, and Part B applies to doctor visits and medical expenses, such as lab tests and some preventative screenings. A Medicare Advantage plan, also known as Part C, is an “all-in-one” alternative to Original Medicare. These “bundled” plans include the benefits of Part A, Part B and Part D (prescription drugs). Some people choose a Medicare Advantage Plans over Original Medicare because these plans offer coverage like vision, hearing, dental and more. Saves You Money First and foremost, Medicare Advantage Plans save Medicare members money –and not just a little bit of money, but a lot of money. Original Medicare only pays 80% of the cost of medical care – the Medicare beneficiary is responsible for the other 20%. A Medicare Advantage Plan is different. The Medicare Beneficiary is only responsible for a small copay, typically less than 20% of a doctor visit or procedure. More importantly, Medicare Advantage Plans have a maximum out-of-pocket amount, meaning that once you reach the limit, the Plan pays 100% of all medical services. That alone can save thousands of dollars per year – particularly if there is a hospitalization involved. Dental, Vision and Hearing Coverage What sets Medicare Advantage plans apart is the additional benefits provided that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. These benefits include dental coverage, vision coverage, hearing exams and hearing aid coverage. None of these important health care benefits are included in Original Medicare. Also, most Medicare Advantage Plans include prescription drug coverage at no additional cost, while individuals with Original Medicare need to sign-up and pay extra for Part D prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans offer more benefits than Original Medicare and they help members save on their health care costs. Focus on Accessibility, Wellness and Preventative Health Accessible healthcare coverage is key to staying on top of your health. To join a Medicare Advantage Plan you must have Part A and Part B coverage and live in the plan’s service area. It is important to remember that Original Medicare is only valid in the United States. Fortunately, many Medicare Advantage Plans offer worldwide emergency coverage. Another important healthcare consideration to keep in mind is Medicare Advantage Plans focus on your overall well-being. They offer preventative and wellness-related benefits at no cost to you. This includes important benefits like free over-the-counter medicines and free gym memberships. You won’t find those types of benefits with Original Medicare. Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap) Some people confuse a Medicare Supplement Plan, also known as a Medigap Plan, with Medicare Advantage Plans. They are different and the biggest difference is Medicare Supplement plans come with ever-increasing premiums because they are based on your age. This means the cost of these plans increase every year. Plus, they don’t offer any supplemental benefit coverage like vision, dental or hearing. That’s not the case with a Medicare Advantage Plan. In many cases, there is no monthly premium and you receive all manner of supplemental benefits. These benefit-rich, zero-dollar premium Medicare Advantage plans are enticing people to say goodbye to pricy Medicare supplement plans and hello to Medicare Advantage Plans. Don’t worry, if you join a Medicare Advantage Plan for the first time and you aren’t happy with the plan, you’ll have special rights under federal law to buy a Medigap policy and a Medicare drug plan if you return to Original Medicare within 12 months of joining the Medicare Advantage Plan. The Flexibility to Change Your Mind A common misconception about Medicare Advantage Plans is that when you join, you are still on Medicare and are not giving up your Medicare coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans are considered “Medicare Part C.” This means they combine your Medicare Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (doctor’s coverage) and Part D (prescription drug coverage) into one convenient package that costs less and provides more. You can only join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan during the enrollment periods: Initial Enrollment Period: When you first become eligible for Medicare, you can sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period. For many, this is the seven-month period that begins three months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends three months after the month you turn 65. General Enrollment Period: If you have Part A coverage and you get Part B for the first time during this period (between January 1 - March 31 each year), you can also join a Medicare Advantage Plan. Your coverage may not start until July 1. Annual Election Period: Between October 15 and December 7, anyone with Medicare can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan. Your coverage will begin on January 1 (as long as the plan receives your request by December 7). Medicare Advantage Plans have been around for more than 25 years and continue to grow in popularity. In some parts of the country, more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. Only 40% are enrolled here in Nevada, but that number is growing every year.
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3 Reasons to Choose a Senior Care Plus Health Plan
Senior Care Plus was Nevada’s first Medicare Advantage Plan and is still providing healthcare coverage to qualifying members in Washoe, Carson City, Clark & Nye Counties. Senior Care Plus is administered by Hometown Health, the insurance division of Renown Health. That relationship means Senior Care Plus is the only Medicare Advantage Plan supported and accepted at Renown. This preferred access to Renown is a great benefit for northern Nevadans. When it comes to healthcare coverage, there are three key factors to keep in mind. Here’s why a Senior Care Plus Medicare Advantage Plan is your best choice. 1. Cost Cost matters when searching for the right insurance plan. Of the four Senior Care Plus plans available to residents of Washoe County and Carson City, three offer a zero-dollar monthly premium and all of them offer zero-dollar primary care office visits. That means no out-of-pocket costs for you. Additionally, all Senior Care Plus plans have an annual out-of-pocket maximum. This means when you reach this amount, that’s all you will pay. Senior Care Plus pays all other covered medical benefits for the rest of the year. That’s the beauty of a Senior Care Plus Medicare Advantage Plan. 2. Size of Provider Network and Accessibility Although saving money is important, it’s more important to be able to see a doctor when and where you need to. Senior Care Plus members enjoy the most comprehensive healthcare provider network in the region. Thousands of providers, including many hard-to-find specialists, are in the Senior Care Plus network. Since Senior Care Plus is part of the Renown Health family, you get priority access to all that Renown has to offer, which you won’t find with any other Medicare Advantage Plan. 3. Coverage Medical coverage needs are personal and unique to every member. Understanding a plan’s benefits is essential when picking the best coverage for you. Of course, the important benefits you associate with a healthcare plan are included in all Senior Care Plus plans: urgent care visits, specialists’ visits, lab services, imaging — all with reasonable copays. What sets Senior Care Plus apart from the rest are the additional benefits for preventive health. For example, Senior Care Plus offers plans with a comprehensive dental benefit with first-dollar coverage, meaning you pay nothing until the benefit limit is reached. Senior Care Plus Medicare Advantage Plans also have a vision benefit allowing you to get a new pair of eyeglasses every year. In addition, these plans offer a fitness benefit, so you can join a local gym because Senior Care Plus wants to keep you healthy. Another interesting benefit is the over-the-counter benefit. If you choose the Renown Preferred Plan, you can select $50 worth of over-the-counter products such as: cold medicine, dental products, diabetic supplies, and digestive aides. Remember, that’s $50 worth of over-the-counter products four times per year. All on a plan that doesn’t cost a thing. Senior Care Plus Medicare Advantage Plans offer many added benefits tailored to Nevadans.
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Dr. Susan Lee to Lead Renown South Meadows Medical Center
Renown Health is pleased to announce that Susan Lee, DO, MBA will serve as Chief Operating Officer for Renown South Meadows Medical Center. Dr. Lee begins her new role on March 7, and succeeds Chris Nicholas, who resigned last month for a position with a health system in Florida. Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, President & CEO, Renown Health, announced Dr. Lee’s internal promotion today by writing, “Embracing our vision to improve the health of our community, we are empowering leaders to play a greater role in improving physician, employee and patient experiences; growing services to our community; providing Reliable and Exact Care and meeting rigorous standards for operational excellence and efficiency.” Dr. Slonim noted that he was excited as, “Dr. Lee expands her role, promotes a spirit of unity across the enterprise, and continues to make progress on achieving goals central to Renown’s success.” In her new role as Chief Operating Officer for Renown South Meadows Medical Center, Dr. Lee will work with Jennifer Allen, MSN, director of nursing and the South Meadows leadership medical staff and team to lead South Meadows to achieve its strategic and operational goals. Dr. Lee is an experienced, dynamic physician executive and operational leader with a record of service growth, clinical quality, patient communication and execution. She is experienced in cross-functional collaboration and nationally recognized for organizational change management. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Dr. Lee has based her clinical practice as a hospitalist on the mind-body connection and a collaborative model with patients and families. Dr. Lee joined Renown Health as the Chair of Medical Specialties in the summer of 2020 to manage hospital-based physician practices. She was promoted to Chief Medical Officer for Renown Regional Medical Center in February 2021 to oversee inpatient clinical operations, including length of stay, hospital capacity, care management functionality, interdisciplinary rounds and Medical Staff services. Since September of 2021, as Chief Medical Officer for Renown Acute Care, she has been responsible for clinical operations, strategic direction, hospital-based physician management, the Medical Staff Office, regulatory standards, and quality and financial outcomes for Renown Regional Medical Center, Renown South Meadows Medical Center and Renown Rehabilitation Hospital. Prior to serving at Renown, Dr. Lee served as Chief of Hospital Medicine at Carilion Clinic, a 7-facility nonprofit, integrated health system headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia. Dr. Lee is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (MBA), Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and Duke University (BA). She is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Association for Physician Leadership. Renown South Meadows Medical Center, located in south Reno, is a 76-bed acute care community hospital offering exceptional surgical and medical services in a nurturing environment. Renown South Meadows Medical Center is home to south Reno’s only 24/7 Emergency Department and staffed with Board-Certified Emergency physicians. Renown South Meadows Medical Center offers advanced care for patients including comprehensive primary care; x-ray and imaging services; lab services; heart care; OB/GYN; physical rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation services; nuclear medicine and surgical services including orthopedics. As a not-for-profit organization, the Renown South Meadows Medical Center team embraces their role in improving the health and well-being of the people and communities served and provides necessary healthcare services regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, handicap, age or ability to pay. In addition, Renown South Meadows Medical Center has been nationally recognized for providing the highest quality care and service, including: In U.S. News and World Report Best Hospital rankings, Renown South Meadows was listed #1 in the State of Nevada (tied with Carson Tahoe Medical Center) for 2020. Renown South Meadows was rated High Performing for Hip Replacement and Knee Replacement and COPD. A hospital's score is based on multiple data categories, including patient outcomes, safety and volumes. Hospitals earning a High Performing rating were significantly better than the national average. Renown South Meadows Medical Center received The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® accreditation for Total Knee Replacement, Total Hip Replacement and Total Shoulder Replacement and was recognized as Top Performer on Key Quality Measures.® Dr. Lee says she "understands that health care today is as much about social skills and navigating multiple relationships as it is about clinical knowledge." Throughout her career, Dr. Lee has done much to contribute to a culture of innovation and transformation. Dr. Lee believes that, “providers need physicians, nurses and care teams who have high adaptability, flexibility, and, above all, the ability to care and be kind." Dr. Lee coaches teams to be responsive, empathic, have situational awareness and employ their clinical abilities at the highest level. She will often ask questions of her team to understand how they are "wired" to drive innovation and transformation- and to build culture and teamwork. She has hired and coached over 100 hospitalist physicians — many of them women — and promoted and served as a reference for hundreds of nurses, staff leader and advanced care providers. Dr. Lee serves as a peer mentor for other women, and men, who aspire to physician and healthcare leadership. The team at Renown South Meadows Medical Center is seeking great employees for careers in service; apply on line at https://careers.renown.org/.
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Renown Health Works With Amazon Web Services To Enhance Customer Experience
Renown Health & Hometown Health leverage cloud technology to improve access to care and coverage A person’s ability to access health services has a profound effect on every aspect of his or her health, yet almost 1 in 4 Americans do not have a primary care provider (PCP) or a health center where they can receive regular medical services. In addition, because of concerns about COVID-19, the CDC reports that an estimated 41% of U.S. adults have delayed or avoided medical care including urgent or emergency care (12%) and routine care (32%). Avoidance of urgent or emergency care was more prevalent among unpaid caregivers for adults, persons with underlying medical conditions, Black adults, Hispanic adults, young adults, and persons with disabilities. With the goal of improving health by helping people get the healthcare services they need, Renown Health, based in Reno, NV, is leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enhance access to care. As part of Renown’s continued journey to transform healthcare, the healthcare network is implementing Amazon Connect – AWS’s omnichannel cloud contact center service. The easy to use and quick to deploy solution allows patients to easily access customer service for Renown’s Hometown Health insurance plan, schedule imaging appointments, Epic MyChart patient electronic medical record support and general customer service. Customer service is now available in multiple languages over the phone, and via online live agent chat and email, making it easier and more convenient for people to make appointments for the care they need. Amazon Connect enables Renown Health to scale up to handle unexpected high call volumes and scale back rapidly. The solution also provides call center agents the flexibility they need to work remotely, without compromising the customer experience. “Renown is proud to be one of the first nonprofit healthcare organizations in the country to use Amazon Web Services as part of a comprehensive customer access and outreach program,” says Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, President & CEO, Renown Health. “We are excited to deploy their innovative contact center technology to assist us in connecting people with Renown medical providers and health services. Our goal is to make connections quick, easy and convenient, so more people will be encouraged to receive the health care services they need.” “Today’s generation of healthcare consumers expect a friction-less experience—from finding a caregiver, to booking an appointment, to receiving treatment. With this new solution, Renown Health will be able to meet their customers’ expectations faster and more efficiently than ever before,” said Phoebe Yang, General Manager, Healthcare at AWS. “AWS looks forward to working with the innovative team at Renown Health as they leverage the power of the cloud to improve the health of communities they serve." “Especially with COVID, but even before, many people don’t get recommended healthcare services, like cancer screenings, because they lack a primary care provider, or access to health care professionals. At Renown Health, we have a commitment to caring for people, with Reliable and Exact Care and the ability to connect — in person and virtually — to help ensure people get the care they need, when and where they need it,” says Thomas Graf, MD, Chief Clinical & Quality Officer at Renown. “Our goal is to reduce barriers and enhance access, so all who need care can receive care,” says Candace Dietrich, director of the Engagement Center at Renown. “AWS technology is helping to improve the customer experience and drive efficiencies. Our collaboration with AWS makes health care more accessible for all, which ultimately is better for the entire community.” “Amazon Connect is a key component of our digital front door virtual care strategy and supports our customer service goals and Reliable & Exact Care at Renown,” said Chuck Podesta, Chief Information Technology Officer at Renown. “Hometown Health is a community-focused organization and with support from AWS, we continue to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” says David Hansen, Chief Executive Officer of Nevada’s largest not-for- profit health insurance provider. “We are proud to have a care and coverage network serving half a billion people across 100,000 square miles across Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California, and committed to creating healthier communities.” About Renown Health Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. For more information, visit renown.org.
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