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News release: Colorado - Denver/BoulderSeptember 13, 2002 For more information, call: Kaiser Permanente will maintain its Medicare program Denver, CO – Kaiser Permanente will continue to care for its 56,700 Medicare patients in the Denver/Boulder area for the foreseeable future. While other health plans have dropped coverage areas in recent years, Kaiser Permanente has never pulled back from its Medicare service area. The nonprofit health care organization has participated in the Medicare HMO program, called Medicare+Choice, since its inception. "I want to assure our elder members that they will be able to stay with their Kaiser Permanente doctor," said Chris Binkley, president of the Colorado region. "Each year, when Medicare+Choice pull-backs are announced, there is a lot of concern among the retirees and disabled who depend on Medicare. But once again this year, we will not pull back and we have no intention of doing so." Federal reimbursement for Medicare HMOs still lags far behind health care costs. That has led to health plans withdrawing from the program altogether, while others increase plan premiums and copays in order to continue to serve their Medicare patients. Proposed plans and benefits for 2003 are currently being reviewed by federal regulators. Once they are approved, members will be notified of the changes by Oct. 30. "We've remained a stable presence in Medicare primarily because we're very good at taking care of the people in the program," Binkley said. "We lead the nation in monitoring heart patients and helping them keep their cholesterol under control. We've developed group clinics that ensure regular, quality time for patient and physician. Most of our Senior Advantage members have an exercise benefit that includes membership to a participating exercise facility. Specially trained nurses keep tabs on our most frail members, helping them live at home as long as possible. We've proven that investments in quality health care pay off in the long run. Quality health care is also the most affordable health care." Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit health care organization that cares for 417,000 members in the six-county Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs. In the Denver metro area, care is provided by a coordinated team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, mental health counselors and physical therapists. In Colorado Springs, Kaiser Permanente cares for its members through an affiliated network of community-based physicians and other health care providers. Kaiser Permanente does not offer Medicare+Choice coverage in the Colorado Springs area.
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