October 4, 2007
For Immediate Release

Alameda Alliance for Health Announces New CompleteCare Program for Alameda County Seniors and Persons with Disabilities>


ALAMEDA, Calif., Oct. 4, 2007 - Alameda Alliance for Health (the Alliance), a not-for-profit health plan that provides health care coverage to nearly 90,000 low-income Alameda County residents, today announced it is offering a new plan, called Alliance CompleteCare, to seniors and persons with disabilities who are dually eligible for both Medi-Cal and Medicare. Alliance CompleteCare provides tremendous value to these individuals in Alameda County because it combines their Medicare, Medi-Cal and Part D drug benefits into one easy-to-use health plan. The Alliance will begin accepting enrollments into Alliance CompleteCare beginning Nov. 15, 2007, and coverage under the new program will be effective beginning Jan. 1, 2008.

"Providing health care to dually eligible seniors and persons with disabilities can be very challenging because the benefits offered through Medicare and Medi-Cal often overlap and have different restrictions and limitations," said Ingrid Lamirault, CEO for the Alliance. "We know that seniors and persons with disabilities need extra help to navigate the complexities of these two government programs so they can make the most of the benefits available to them. That's one of the reasons we felt it was important to offer Alliance CompleteCare in Alameda County."

Alliance CompleteCare is a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP). SNPs were established by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 to meet the special needs of dually eligible seniors and persons with disabilities throughout the United States. The Alliance received approval for its Alliance CompleteCare SNP program from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in late September 2007. It is estimated that there are over 34,000 residents in Alameda County who are eligible to participate in a SNP like Alliance CompleteCare.

Alliance CompleteCare provides comprehensive health care services to members. Benefits range from preventive care and routine, emergency and urgent health care services to acupuncture, chiropractic care and non-emergency transportation. With Alliance CompleteCare, there are no plan premiums or deductibles, and no co-pays for covered medical benefits or generic prescriptions. Alliance CompleteCare members can access a provider network that includes more than 1,000 doctors and specialists, as well as hospitals and community health centers conveniently located throughout Alameda County. Members also have access to a network of more than 200 pharmacies and a prescription mail-order service.

One of the most unique benefits of Alliance CompleteCare is that each member is assigned to a personal Care Advisor when they join the plan. Care Advisors will provide members with a wide range of personalized services such as making appointments and arranging for transportation, or assisting with referrals and community resources. The goal of each Care Advisor is to make sure that every Alliance CompleteCare member gets the extra help they may need to take full advantage of all the benefits and coverage options available to them. "The Alliance has been meeting the needs of lower-income populations in Alameda County since its inception in 1996," said Lamirault. "We are a community-focused, community-based organization, and we have always been committed to improving and maintaining the health and well-being of the members we serve. Dually eligible seniors and persons with disabilities are more vulnerable and frail than other members in our community, and with the introduction of Alliance CompleteCare, we'll be able to offer enhanced service and more benefits to these Alameda County residents who need us the most."

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

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