LAS VEGAS and ORANGE, Calif., July 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alignment Health Plan, an award-winning Medicare Advantage plan from Alignment Healthcare (NASDAQ: ALHC), plans to expand into three Nevada counties — Carson City, the state’s capital, and neighboring Douglas and Storey counties — and introduce its preferred provider organization (PPO) plans for the first time to the Silver State, pending regulatory approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).1
If approved, the company’s Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans would be available in six Nevada counties, providing more choice and flexibility to more than 530,000 residents, or 93% of the state’s Medicare-eligible population, beginning Jan. 1, 2023.
Among the three fastest growing states for people 65 and over, Nevada is expected to age at higher rates than the rest of the country through 2030, according to Elders Count Nevada 2021, a report from the nonprofit Center for Healthy Aging.2 Access to health care services and infrastructure most used by aging adults, however, varies greatly between urban and rural areas of the state because 87% of Nevada’s seniors live in three counties (Carson City, Clark and Washoe) that make up only 13% of its geographic footprint. Nevadans in the state’s 14 remaining counties, which generally have a higher per capita of older adults, are often forced to travel large distances to maintain their health.
“At Alignment Health Plan, we offer all-in-one Medicare Advantage plans designed to meet the health and lifestyle needs of the senior population, whenever and wherever they need it,” said Dawn Maroney, markets president, Alignment Healthcare, and CEO of Alignment Health Plan. “We are eager to introduce our PPO plans to Nevada and extend popular benefits and services such as 24/7 telehealth, mail-order prescription delivery and non-emergency transportation into the state’s capital and its more rural surroundings, giving Nevadans more choice and better access to care.”
In Clark, Nye and Washoe counties, the company currently offers HMO plans, including chronic condition special needs plans (HMO C-SNPs) for people with qualifying conditions like diabetes and dual-eligible special needs plans (HMO D-SNPs) for those enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare. Unlike HMOs, PPO plans allow members to see any doctor and use any hospital without a referral, typically paying less when receiving care from in-network providers.
If approved by CMS, Alignment would extend its HMO options to Carson City, Douglas and Storey, and bring PPO plans — including a PPO D-SNP — to all six counties. Combined with recently announced planned expansions in Arizona, California, North Carolina, Florida and Texas, Alignment would reach a total of 8.2 million eligible seniors across 52 counties in six states in 2023, subject to CMS approval.
Alignment Health Plan members can use the company’s ACCESS On-Demand Concierge team at no additional cost to connect with a board-certified doctor by phone or video at any time of day or get help with scheduling medical appointments and understanding their plan’s benefits. Alignment’s plan portfolio is consistently ranked for exceptional quality by individual members and CMS, and most recently received the 2022 Excellence in Quality Award from the Pharmacy Quality Alliance for achievements in medication safety. In Reno, its Platinum (HMO) plan was recognized for Excellence in 2022 Medicare Advantage Benefits Value by HealthMetrix Research Inc.
While Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for special enrollment periods throughout the year, Medicare’s annual enrollment period for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2023, starts Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7. For more information, visit www.alignmenthealthcare.com.
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1 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Advantage/Part D Contract and Enrollment Data, June 2022 MA State/County Penetration, https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/MCRAdvPartDEnrolData/MA-State-County-Penetration
2 “Elders Count Nevada 2021,” Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division, Department of Health and Human Services, https://adsd.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/adsdnvgov/content/About/Reports2/Elders%20Count%202021%20-%20FINAL%201.28.2021.pdf
About Alignment Healthcare
Alignment Healthcare is a consumer-centric platform delivering customized health care in the United States to seniors and those who need it most, the chronically ill and frail, through its Medicare Advantage plans. The company provides partners and patients with customized care and service where they need it and when they need it, including clinical coordination, risk management and technology facilitation. Alignment Healthcare offers health plan options through Alignment Health Plan, and also partners with select health plans to help deliver better benefits at lower costs.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Important risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: our ability to attract new members and enter new markets; including the need for certain governmental approvals; our ability to maintain a high rating for our plans on the Five Star Quality Rating System; risks associated with being a government contractor; changes in laws and regulations applicable to our business model; changes in market or industry conditions and receptivity to our technology and services; results of litigation or a security incident; the impact of shortages of qualified personnel and related increases in our labor costs; and the impact of COVID-19 on our business and results of operation. For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect our actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and the other periodic reports we file with the SEC. All information provided in this release is as of the date hereof, and we undertake no duty to update or revise this information unless required by law.
Media Contact
Priya Shah
mPR, Inc. for Alignment Healthcare
alignment@mpublicrelations.com
