Health Alliance Plan opens enrollment for Medicare plan in Southwest Michigan

Health Alliance Plan opens enrollment for Medicare plan in Southwest Michigan
HAP President and CEO Michael Genord

Detroit-based Health Alliance Plan has extended a Medicare Advantage plan into seven more counties, continuing the insurance agency’s expansion into West Michigan.

HAP opened enrollment today for the Medicare Advantage Senior Plus HMO for people eligible for Medicare in Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. The coverage starts Jan. 1.

“HAP is already a trusted voice and well-established resource in Southeast Michigan, and we’re looking forward to filling out the rest of the lower half of Michigan and beyond as we continue to expand across the state,” HAP President and CEO Michael Genord said in a statement.

HAP first entered the West Michigan market a year ago by partnering with Mercy Health physicians on a similar Medicare Advantage plan for Kent, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties that enrolled 1,700 members in the first year.

The Medicare Advantage Senior Plus HMO includes a savings plan for individuals with diabetes and participates in a federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services model that caps the copay cost of insulin at $35.

“Our market research indicates that seniors in West Michigan are looking for additional options in health insurance,” said Margaret Anderson, HAP’s senior vice president and chief sales and marketing officer. “Last year’s successful launch in the four counties prompted this year’s expansion into additional territory.”

HAP followed up the Medicare Advantage market entry this year by introducing commercial health plans for employers in Kent, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties for 2021 coverage.