Why Medicare
for AlohaCare?
AlohaCare is now Hawaii's third largest health plan with 55,000 health plan members on Oahu and the Neighbor Islands, of which more than 1,000 are Medicare members. AlohaCare decided to
become a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan and a Medicare Advantage
Special Needs Plan because of three driving factors.
First, AlohaCare's mission
has always been to serve Hawaii's most fragile populations. AlohaCare
recognized that Hawaii's population continues to age.
Many Medicare beneficiaries
are making decisions to purchase their prescription drugs or to buy food.
Certainly, Hawaii's aging population is one of the most fragile groups of our
community.
Second, AlohaCare's board
designed a 5-year strategic plan in 2004 that outlined business diversification
to include the care of the aging, disabled and long term care populations.
Third, in 2003, Congress
passed into law the Medicare Modernization Act. This new law initiated the most
significant changes to Medicare since its inception. Two of the most prominent
components of this law are the introduction of Medicare Advantage health plans
and Medicare Part D or drug insurance.