CareMore Receives Conditional Approval from CMS to Expand into Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif.- CareMore Health Plan, one of the West’s leading Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors, has obtained conditional approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand its health plan options and model of care into Riverside.

With the expected final approval by CMS to come in a few weeks, CareMore will bring to the Riverside area a brand new kind of approach to clinical and coordinated care for the elderly. With its focus on disease management by ensuring a highly integrated health care delivery system, Medicare recipients enrolling with CareMore will experience an aggressive and proactive approach to their individualized health care.  The key to CareMore’s successful model of care is a hand’s on approach, coordination of care, intensive treatment of chronic conditions and understanding of needs of the elderly.

“We believe our care model delivers an exceptional benefit to the senior population, particularly those with high risk conditions like diabetes, heart disease and others,” says Eric Van Horn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CareMore Health Plan. “Additionally,” he adds, “we provide programs and services that benefit all seniors – at any stage of health.”

As part of its expansion into the Riverside area, CareMore has contracted with local hospitals and medical groups, including Riverside Medical Clinic, Riverside Community Hospital, and Parkview Community Hospital.

The highlight of CareMore’s planned expansion will be the development of its full-service, one-stop neighborhood CareMore Care Centers, which offer a ‘medical home’ to its membership. In the Commonwealth Fund Study (July 2007), it was determined that patients with ‘medical homes’ were better able to manage chronic diseases and maintained basic preventive care. CareMore provides just that: One location that can be considered “home” for the member’s health care needs. The neighborhood care centers offer specialized programs that manage high blood pressure, diabetes, foot care, nutritional education and much more. CareMore has identified a site to be the home of its dedicated neighborhood care center in Riverside.

“Our care models are highly scalable and can be implemented in markets where the physicians share in our philosophy of caring for seniors and are convinced that our model of care will improve the health of their patients,” adds Van Horn.  “We are excited to partner with physicians in the Inland Empire and we look forward to improving the health of seniors in the community.”

CareMore, based in Cerritos, California, serves Medicare Advantage members throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. This is its fist expansion into the Riverside area.

CareMore currently serves more than 44,000 Medicare enrollees in California, Nevada and Arizona.