UniCare Press Release 5/17/2005

UNICARE OFFERS BASICCHOICE BENEFIT PLANS
Programs are designed to give employers the means to provide affordable coverage options
CHICAGO, ILL. –UniCare is now offering BasicChoice, a new line of lower cost benefit plans designed to provide coverage for the most basic commonly used health care benefits. The plans should especially appeal to groups in the service industry that often have employees who are among the "working uninsured."
"These lower-cost benefits are not intended to replace the traditional employer-paid comprehensive health plans that employers already have in place," said David Fields, president and CEO of UniCare. "Rather, when large numbers of employees work in service-oriented positions and are not eligible for the company’s benefits program or can’t afford the company’s standard benefits program, then BasicChoice is the right choice for both the member and the employer. These programs can supplement existing options and give employers the means to provide an affordable option to employees who would not otherwise have health care coverage."
offers most of the commonly used health care benefits, such as:
Flexible medical plan options to include coverage for doctor visits and basic assistance with hospitalization expenses
Access to many of the leading physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals from the UniCare PPO network
Prescription drug coverage
The BasicChoice plan has three varying levels of coverage:
Level I Benefits Coverage is based on the UniCare indemnity product and includes outpatient benefits such as office visits, diagnostic and lab services, X-rays and emergency services, and inpatient benefits such as hospital stays and maternity. Annual benefit maximums for inpatient services are up to $15,000.
Level II Benefits Coverage utilizes UniCare’s Platinum Provider Network for increased savings when compared to standard PPO plans. With higher deductible options and some benefit modifications, BasicChoice Level II is an affordable option for those who prefer traditional PPO plans. Other benefits are:
Outpatient benefits such as office visits, diagnostic and lab services, X-rays, emergency room visits, well child care, immunizations, outpatient surgery
Preventive benefits such as mammogram screenings and pap smears
Inpatient benefits such as maternity and hospital stays
Physical therapy and occupational therapy, including chiropractic services
Annual maximum options range from $10,000 to $100,000
Utilization of PPO network
Level III Benefits Coverage resembles UniCare’s standard PPO benefit plans. Benefits include:
Wide range of deductible options
Annual benefit maximums ranging from $50,000 to $100,000
Outpatient benefits such as office visits, diagnostic and lab services, X-rays, emergency room visits, well child care, immunizations
Preventive benefits such as mammogram screenings and pap smears
Inpatient benefits such as maternity and hospital stays
Physical therapy and occupational therapy, including chiropractic services
Utilization of PPO network
The prescription drug benefit is one of the most important components of any benefits plan. With BasicChoice, the group can choose to provide one of three UniCare pharmacy benefit plans for its associates:
Members pay a monthly fee to participate in the UniCare Discount program. With this pharmacy benefits option, BasicChoice members utilize UniCare’s network discounts with thousands of pharmacies across the country.
The UniCare Generic Plan option covers generic prescription drugs only. Members pay a $10 copayment per generic prescription.
UniCare’s YourChoiceRX combines the convenience, quality service and cost-saving features of a conventional UniCare prescription drug plan with the concept of reference pricing. A pricing methodology generally used in the purchase of prescription drugs, reference pricing provides four different levels of pharmacy benefits and three levels of co-payments for this plan.