Meridian Health Plan Expands into Illinois Medicare Market

CHICAGO, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian Health Plan of Illinois is proud to announce that it is expanding to provide Medicare services in Illinois to eligible enrollees beginning January 1, 2013.   

Meridian Advantage Plan of Illinois (HMO SNP), a Medicare Advantage Plan with a Medicare contract and a coordination contract with the State of Illinois, will provide health benefits to enrollees who qualify to receive Medicaid benefits, are eligible for Medicare Parts A and B and reside in Meridian's service area of Knox, McHenry, Mercer and Warren counties.

"The State of Illinois is committed to making people healthier. We are honored to be an integral part of reaching this goal," said Vijay Kotte, President of Medicare Operations for Meridian Health Plan. "Having served Medicaid beneficiaries in Illinois since 2008, we remain committed to coordinating high-quality health care to Illinois residents, especially for the unique dual-eligible group."

With the continued desire to strengthen care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries and Dual Eligibles, Meridian hired Kotte in August 2012 to oversee its Medicare operations.

"Given the tremendous growth in the Medicare field, this is an exciting opportunity for Meridian. I'm thrilled to be able to contribute to this growth," Kotte said.

Kotte brings a wealth of Medicare and Medicaid experience to Meridian. He has worked in the healthcare field for more than 10 years, holding leadership roles at health plans, healthcare organizations and business consulting firms.

"We intend to support and increase clinical quality without sacrificing patient-doctor relationships through our commitment to enduring relationships with providers and state government, use of innovative award-winning technology and our unique Illinois-based Integrated Care Management and Community Care Coordination approach," Kotte said.

Meridian Health Plan is a physician-owned, physician-operated health plan with extensive experience in its subsidiary operations in Michigan, Illinois and Iowa and will begin operation in New Hampshire in 2013. Meridian's affiliates include Medicaid and Medicare health plans and MeridianRx, a Pharmacy Benefit Management company. Meridian Health Plan currently serves over 300,000 Medicaid members. For more information, visit www.mhplan.com.

SOURCE Meridian Health Plan