AMERIGROUP Community Care of Maryland has won federal approval to offer a health plan that addresses the specialized needs of people enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The plan began serving members on January 1, 2007. The health plan, which is called AMERIVANTAGE, is a Medicare Special Needs Plan (SNP) tailored to serve low-income people who are over age 65 or are handicapped and who live in four localities: the City of Baltimore and Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The plan is open to individuals known as “dual eligibles” because they get their healthcare through two publicly-funded programs, Medicare and Medicaid.

The AMERIVANTAGE plan serves people who often are very ill and who depend almost totally on publicly-funded programs for extensive medical care. AMERIVANTAGE analyzes and addresses the full range of members’ healthcare needs — which often include an array of medical specialists, prescription drugs and support services — and handles the paperwork needed to obtain and pay for their care.

AMERIGROUP Community Care of Maryland is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMERIGROUP Corporation, which also offers an AMERIVANTAGE plan for “dual eligibles” in Houston and surrounding Harris County, Texas. AMERIGROUP Corporation is a national leader in offering healthcare services to low-income Americans with long term illnesses or disabilities.