More than 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Riverside and San Bernardino counties will have an additional option for accessing health care services. As of January 1, 2015, Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans will be able to choose Loma Linda University Health as their primary and specialty care medical group. In 2015, UnitedHealthcare will be the only Medicare Advantage plan contracted with Loma Linda University Health, which provides access to hundreds of primary care physicians and specialists with expertise in a full spectrum of specialties at Loma Linda University Medical Center, as well as its centers of excellence, including the Proton Treatment Center, the Cancer Center and the International Heart Institute.
UnitedHealthcare members with questions about how this change affects them are advised to call the number on their member ID card. Beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare coverage during the Open Enrollment Period, which began October 15 and ends December 7. (News report submitted by Casey Anderson on behalf of UnitedHealthcare).