Medicare+Choice Plans to Double Premiums, Cut Drug Coverage in Sacramento County
Citing increasing health care costs and low federal reimbursements, insurers offering Medicare+Choice plans in Sacramento County expect to double the cost of premiums or cut back on prescription drug benefits next year, the Sacramento Bee reports. For example, Kaiser Permanente's Medicare HMO, Senior Advantage, will increase monthly premiums for Sacramento County beneficiaries from $40 to $80 next year. Health Net is raising premiums from $40 to $60 a month for seniors enrolled its Seniority Plus plan. Western Health Advantage and PacifiCare are keeping their premiums at $50 per month but are dropping coverage of brand-name prescriptions next year. The Bee reports that seniors in El Dorado County will face the "toughest health care choices" next year, when PacifiCare and Health Net exit the market, leaving Kaiser Permanente as the only remaining Medicare+Choice plan in the county. In addition, Kaiser Permanente will serve only certain area codes (Rapaport, Sacramento Bee, 10/21).
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