UnitedHealthcare Launches National Medicare Education Week to Help Make Health Care Coverage Choices Easier for Baby Boomers and Medicare Beneficiaries
Building on its award-winning Medicare Made Clear education program,
UnitedHealthcare is launching National Medicare Education Week, Sept.
15-22, to encourage baby boomers and Medicare beneficiaries as well as
their families, friends and caregivers to learn more about their health
care coverage options.1
With more than 10 million members enrolled in its Medicare plans,
UnitedHealthcare is the largest company dedicated to the health and
well-being needs of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries.
National Medicare Education Week kicks off exactly one month before the
start of the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (Oct. 15-Dec. 7) when
beneficiaries can make changes to their coverage for the following year.
By learning about Medicare during National Medicare Education Week,
beneficiaries may feel more confident and prepared to make decisions
during the Open Enrollment Period.
Navigating Medicare can be challenging, so we want to help people
become confident about making Medicare decisions, said Chris Abbott,
UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement regional vice president and
National Medicare Education Week education director. National Medicare
Education Week is a time right before enrollment for millions of people
to learn more about Medicare and how to find the coverage that best fits
their health needs and budgets.
Care Improvement Plus, AARP, Ameriprise Financial and the National
Family Caregivers Association supported UnitedHealthcare in creating
National Medicare Education Week.
Events Offer Opportunity to Learn about
Medicare through Hands-On Social Media Workshop
During National Medicare Education Week, UnitedHealthcare and Care
Improvement Plus, a recent addition to UnitedHealthcares portfolio of
Medicare health plans, will host more than 65 educational events in more
than 50 cities.
The events will begin with a Medicare Made Clear presentation, led by
local company representatives. The presentation will focus on the basics
of Medicare to help beneficiaries find the coverage that is best for
them. Event attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about
Medicare by participating in a hands-on computer workshop. As older
adults and other Medicare beneficiaries increasingly turn to the
Internet and social media to find information and stay connected, they
can use these tools to learn about their Medicare options as well.
UnitedHealthcare and Care Improvement Plus aim to empower beneficiaries
with the information and skills they need to feel comfortable going
online to learn about Medicare. During the workshops, attendees will
learn how to use popular social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube and how these resources can help them learn more about
Medicare and also stay connected with friends and family.
UnitedHealthcare MedicareStoresSM
and Kiosks Open Nationwide During National Medicare Education Week
During National Medicare Education Week, UnitedHealthcare will open more
than 10 retail stores across the country. The company plans to open more
than 20 additional stores in the weeks leading up to the Open Enrollment
Period. The UnitedHealthcare MedicareStoresSM, which can be
found in malls and shopping centers in more than 30 cities, provide
convenient and direct access to licensed agents who can help educate
beneficiaries about Medicare and how to find coverage that best meets
their health needs and budgets.
Baby boomers, beneficiaries and their caregivers will find within the
stores educational resources and materials about UnitedHealthcare
Medicare plans that can help them make informed decisions about their
health care coverage. Informational meetings about Medicare, health and
wellness will also be held at the stores in the coming months.
The stores opening during National Medicare Education Week marks the
latest evolution of the companys consumer-centric retail strategy and
follows the companys success with its first store designed specifically
for Medicare beneficiaries, which opened in Kingsport, Tenn., last year.
Beneficiaries may also talk to a UnitedHealthcare representative at more
than 1,400 UnitedHealthcare-branded kiosks that can be found in retail
locations nationwide.
National Medicare Education Week Helps Meet
Growing Demand for Clear Medicare Information
Medicare is our nations largest health insurance program, with 49
million Americans enrolled. According to a survey conducted last year by
the National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare, most adults ages 60
and older say they find Medicare confusing or do not understand it at
all.2
As 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day for the next decade, the
Medicare-eligible population is set to skyrocket, making it even more
critical that clear information about Medicare is accessible to newly
eligible beneficiaries. Recognizing the growing demand for Medicare
information, UnitedHealthcare is launching National Medicare Education
Week this year as an extension of its Medicare Made Clear campaign.
UnitedHealthcare created Medicare Made Clear to help make Medicare
easier to understand. The multifaceted education program includes a
website, MedicareMadeClear.com, and a library of printed materials such
as guides, brochures and worksheets. The Medicare Made Clear guides
were first distributed in 2005, with the full program officially
launching in 2010.
In recent years, the company has enhanced the program with new tools and
features to accommodate a variety of learning styles. Visitors to the
website will now find blogs, quizzes and videos on a variety of Medicare
topics, and beneficiaries can like the Medicare Made Clear Facebook
page or follow its Twitter handle (@MedicareClear) or YouTube channel
for regular Medicare tips and updates.
For more information about National Medicare Education Week and the
educational events, visit NMEW.com or the National Medicare Education
Week app, or tab, on the Medicare Made Clear Facebook page. People
can call (800) 568-8316 (TTY: 711) to speak with a UnitedHealthcare
agent who can help them find a UnitedHealthcare store or kiosk in their
area.
More information about Medicare is available at www.Medicare.gov
or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY: 1-877-486-2048), available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live
healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting
consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships
with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health
benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians
and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare
serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and
well-being company.
The family of UnitedHealthcare® Medicare Solutions plans are insured or
covered by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliates,
a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and
Medicare-approved Part D sponsor.
A sales person will be present with information and applications. For
accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings call (800)
568-8316 (TTY: 711).
1 Center for Plain Language ClearMark Awards, June 2011; http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110608005300/en/UnitedHealthcare-Wins-ClearMark-Awards-Consumer-Friendly-Medicare-Education
2 National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare Survey,
Sept. 19, 2011; http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/news.aspx?id=d8ff7644-1e5b-4574-949e-6073e2c7b144
