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Crowds examine details of newest Medicare HMO
By JENNIFER LIBERTO SPRING HILL -- Hundreds of Spring Hill residents sat silently Monday, pressed together in a tiny room, and hung on every word uttered at information sessions given by a new Medicare HMO. Quality Health Plans, with headquarters in Holiday, had to turn away dozens of seniors because the size of the crowd might violate fire safety codes. "People always want more choices, and ours are advantageous," said Quality Health Plans marketing director Mike Freeman, explaining why the sessions are drawing such crowds. The sessions began last week and will continue daily over the next few months. However, seniors who want to start Quality Health Plans coverage Jan. 1 must file the application to enroll in the HMOs by Dec. 31. Quality Health Plans was started by physician Arain Nawaz of New York in January. He decided Florida was the best place for it, because "he has a lot of physicians and friends in the community," Freeman said. The company recently won federal government approval to offer managed care to Hernando and Pasco residents starting Jan. 1. Quality Health Plans will be Hernando's third and Pasco's fourth Medicare HMO. So far, reaction to the plan's details are mixed. While many seniors said they are happy to have another health care choice, several also said they didn't know if Quality Health Plans would actually be a better value. Most of the plan's savings are based in the cheaper co-payments for doctor visits and prescriptions, Medicare recipients said. "I like that the generic is unlimited and they seem to have better doctors," said Joe Sessa of Spring Hill, who is now with Well Care Choices. Irene Levesque and Simone St. Onge ducked out of a 10 a.m. session a bit early, because the room was hot and stuffy. But both said they like that Quality offers a mail-order, three-month supply of medication, because they travel north for a few months each year and struggle to get more than 30 days' worth of prescriptions filled. "This plan is very good, but they should have had a bigger room," Levesque said. Others were more suspicious of the new managed care plan. "I don't know; I've no complaints with Well Care," said Claire Mancini of Spring Hill, who sat in the back of the 1 p.m. session. After the session, Mancini said she could see some differences between the plans. Several residents said they were worried that because the HMO was a smaller company, it might be more likely to pull out of the area, like so many other Medicare HMOs that have come and gone. "It seems to be fair, but whether or not it's going to remain here, I don't know," said Peter Caruso of Spring Hill. He can rattle off a list of HMOs he has participated in over the last decade. "Let's see what happens." Quality Health Plans will offer informational sessions Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. throughout the next few months. In Pasco, the sessions are at 2435 U.S. 19 in Holiday. In Hernando, they are at 5359 Spring Hill Drive. -- Jennifer Liberto covers business and development in Hernando County and can be reached at (352) 848-1434. Send e-mail to liberto@sptimes.com .
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