Elderplan, A Brooklyn HMO, Now Available To Queens Seniors

Queens seniors who are not satisfied with their Medicare or HMO coverage now have another alternative to consider—Elderplan.

The 15-year-old healthcare organization, which has operated exclusively in Brooklyn since its inception, announced last week it has been authorized by the federal Health Care Financing Administration to expand into Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens.

In a release announcing the expansion of coverage areas, Elderplan stated that it is "the only social health maintenance organization (HMO) in New York state. It defines a "social" HMO as one which "provides members with comprehensive services including preventive, acute long-term care and social service initiatives."

The release also states that it is the only HMO plan in the state "to offer a chronic care benefit," thus giving members "access to social support, volunteer services, and wellness initiatives."

These claims of exclusive features suggest that no other senior HMO provides these services.

Elderplan, part of the Metropolitan Jewish Health System, charges no premium and offers "many services at 100 percent coverage," including hospitalization.

In addition to its broad benefit package, which also includes prescription drug coverage, Elderplan offers a wide range of education, recreation and social programs. One of these is its "Member to Member" program, which was awarded the 1999 President’s Service Award, presented for volunteer efforts directed at solving critical social problems.

Under the Member to Member program, Elderplan members can volunteer to help other seniors and, if necessary, get as much assistance as he or she gave.

Volunteer services include household repairs, safety inspections and making telephone calls. Often these services can keep a senior in need out of a nursing home.

Also available to Elderplan members are exercise and nutrition classes, stop-smoking programs, widow and widower support groups and safe driving and "single seniors" programs.

Like other Medicare HMOs, Elderplan is open to seniors age 65 and over who are on Medicare.

When a Medicare member opts to get coverage from a Medicare HMO, he or she then receives healthcare coverage from the HMO rather than Medicare and the Medicare premium is still paid by being deducted from your Social Security check. Elderplan does not charge any other premium.

In Queens, nine area hospitals have contracted with Elderplan to participate in the plan coverage. At this time, 134 primary care physicians and 434 specialists are participating in the plan.

Presently, Elderplan serves 6,800 members in Brooklyn.

Commenting on Elderplan’s expanding coverage, Eli S. Feldman, president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Metropolitan Jewish Health System, stated: "We are particularly gratified that Elderplan is expanding during a time when many senior HMOs are cutting back on services."

Feldman added: "It allows us to further strengthen our corporate philosophy of providing seniors with optimum, seamless healthcare and services that allow them to remain in their own homes and communities."

INTERESTING LETTER: Senior Spotlight has received an interesting letter that could benefit many of our readers who have invested in long-term U.S. government bonds as part of their retirement plan. The writer has requested anonymity so we will not publish any name.

The letter begins, "Do you know how to get information about the 30-year Treasury Bonds that many seniors hold as retirement income? Talk of ‘pay down the debt’ should alert many risk-averse seniors that these mostly ‘non-callable’ bonds may be called anyway. Seniors have put their life savings in them in order to be sure of a retirement income until their maturity, 30 years."

This senior’s concern is that these "non-callable bonds," bonds which cannot be paid off prior to their maturity date, "may be called anyway" as part of the federal government’s efforts to eliminate the national debt. The debt was created as government bonds were sold in the past to raise revenue to operate the government.

In response the Gazette is attempting to get an authoratative, correct answer to the reader’s question, and will publish the response when the paper is satisfied the correct reply has been received.

At the same time, we invite any of our readers to offer any information they may have on this subject, which is vital to many seniors.

Write to: Senior Spotlight, the Western Queens Gazette, 42-16 34th Ave., Astoria, N.Y. 11101, or call John Toscano at (718) 361-6161.