MedicareBlue Rx Drug Plan Earns Federal Government's Top Rating

News provided by

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Nov 14, 2012, 02:00 ET

"Five star" status expands enrollment opportunity throughout all of 2013

EAGAN, Minn., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A special designation from the federal government is making it possible for Medicare-eligible individuals in Minnesota to enroll in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota's MedicareBlue^SM Rx prescription drug plan throughout 2013.

MedicareBlue Rx is the only prescription drug plan in Minnesota to receive the top rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers health-related programs. All Medicare drug plans in the country are rated from one to five stars, with five representing "excellent performance."

The CMS Star Rating System provides an overall measure of a drug plan's performance based on a number of indicators, including customer service, size of pharmacy network, drug pricing and patient safety. While lower-ranked plans must adhere to the current national open enrollment period that began on October 15 and ends on December 7, CMS allows all five-star plans to offer a special enrollment period that allows members to sign up during any month in 2013.

"The CMS Star Rating is a great tool for helping people with their Medicare plan selection, and we are pleased that our prescription drug plan has achieved the top rating for three years in a row," said Patsy Riley, chief government officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which is one of six regional Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans offering MedicareBlue Rx. "In addition to being a useful, easy-to-understand application that focuses on quality and performance, the CMS Star Rating system and the five-star special enrollment period provides great flexibility for consumers."

About MedicareBlue Rx

MedicareBlue Rx is made available through an affiliation of six independent Blues companies, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The affiliation reaches more than 300,000 members in seven Midwest states — Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming and Iowa.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota