Alignment to enter Nye’s Medicare market in 2022

A new Medicare Advantage plan will become available in Nye County for the 2022 enrollment period.

Alignment Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage plan from Alignment Healthcare, will offer two new plan options to Medicare-eligible Nevada seniors in Nye, Clark and Washoe counties, encompassing nearly 500,000 Medicare-eligible Nevada seniors, the company said in a release. The enrollment period began on Oct. 15.

“The Medicare enrollment period is an important time for seniors to sift through and determine the right plan for their health and lifestyle needs,” said Dawn Maroney, markets president, Alignment Healthcare. “We’re proud of our portfolio of innovative products, which are a direct result of member feedback and a keen understanding of the evolving demographics of our senior communities. And we’re excited to extend our services to more seniors in Nevada with the addition of Nye and Washoe counties, and to offer a distinctly unique plan with el ÚNICO for seniors in Hispanic communities.”

Alignment currently serves Clark County, where it offers 24/7 concierge services and a monthly benefits card.

The senior population in Nevada is growing. According to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, the 65 and older population increased by 40 percent and the 85 and older population increased by 25 percent between 2011 and 2018, Alignment said in its release.

Alignment notes the differences between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, where “a host of additional benefits, including low or no-cost premiums, more services such as hearing aids, eyeglasses and gym memberships, and high-quality, coordinated care” are available.

The Medicare enrollment period is set to end on Dec. 17. However, two of Alignment’s special needs plans will be available for enrollment all year long.

One of those plans is the heart and diabetes plan, or its HMO C-SNP plan, which is for eligible members with chronic heart conditions and diabetes. This plan is specialized coverage to help patients manage their chronic conditions, according to Alignment.

The second plan is Alignment’s ONE, or “el ÚNICO in Spanish. This is a dual-eligible special needs plan (D-SNP) that is for members from the Hispanic community enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid in Nevada.

Both plans offer benefits such as no-cost monthly premium, no-cost primary care doctor visits, no-cost vision and hearing exam visits and a monthly over-the-counter allowance, Alignment said in its release.

The over-the-counter benefit is loaded onto a member’s ACCESS On-Demand Concierge “black card,” which works as a debit card and is redeemable at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and other retailers in the state, Alignment’s release said.

Alignment will also have other plans in Nevada that include its Platinum and AVA options. Both these HMO plans will offer no-cost premium, no-cost virtual physician visits and a $20 monthly grocery allowance and optional enhanced dental benefits. AVA members will have a dedicated virtual primary care physician and specialists that are accessible by phone or video on Alignment’s proprietary AVA data and technology platform.

Alignment’s network of providers includes P3 Health Partners, CareMore Health, HCA and Saint Mary’s Health Network.

For more information on Alignment and its plans for 2022, head to www.alignmenthealthplan.com