Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) is poised to expand Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to 99 more counties, marking its third year of growth. Covering 82% of counties in five states, HCSC’s strategy involves close provider partnerships. The company designs MA plans to suit diverse needs beyond standard Medicare coverage. Despite MA’s popularity, some beneficiaries struggle to grasp their benefits. HCSC aims to fill gaps in underserved areas and has plans to contract more specialists and primary care physicians. This expansion follows HCSC’s 2022 growth, which reached 1.1 million beneficiaries across 90 counties.
Marking its third consecutive year of substantial market growth, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) is set to introduce Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in an additional 99 counties for the upcoming year.
This expansion is projected to extend HCSC’s coverage to encompass 82% of the counties in the five states it serves Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, where HCSC’s total membership reaches 18 million individuals.
Central to HCSC’s strategy is its strong collaboration with healthcare providers across the regions it operates in.
“We maintain deep-rooted and longstanding relationships with our provider partners. Our network for Medicare Advantage and MA Prescription Drug plans presently comprises nearly 58,000 physicians, 263,000 specialists, and 8,800 hospitals and facilities spanning our states,” shared Christine Kourouklis, HCSC’s Medicare president, in a communication with Fierce Healthcare. “We will be adding more providers to facilitate this expansion and enhance access to healthcare.”
HCSC’s press release underlined the design of their MA plans, tailored to cater to the diverse needs of enrollees, going beyond the conventional coverage provided by Medicare.
Nathan Linsley, HCSC’s senior vice president of government and individual markets, stated in the release that HCSC continues “to make investments in our member experience and provider networks to ensure our Medicare members receive top-notch quality care and service.”
HCSC’s move underscores the ongoing popularity and growth of Medicare Advantage. From accounting for around 15% of total Medicare members in 2003, it now represents nearly half. Enrollments in MA have surged by 337% between 2006 and 2022.
However, despite their satisfaction with MA plans, recent data from a survey conducted by Retirement Living revealed that not all MA beneficiaries fully comprehend their benefits package. While 61% of respondents praised their MA plan’s performance compared to their prior coverage, only 44% indicated a complete understanding of it. A significant 68% cited confusion due to intricate details.
HCSC intends to enhance options for Medicare beneficiaries in underserved and rural regions, often overlooked by larger national plans. Kourouklis elaborated that these areas are identified through a blend of demographic and geographic factors.
In this context, strengthening provider services involves contracting more specialists and primary care physicians.
HCSC’s significant push into the MA market follows its expansion in 2022, where it introduced plans in 90 new counties, extending its reach to an additional 1.1 million beneficiaries.
Medicare’s annual enrollment period is slated to commence on October 15th.
