By Tim Bonfield
The Cincinnati Enquirer

More than 94,000 seniors in Ohio and Kentucky will get discounts this year on the fees they pay to be part of a Medicare HMO.

The changes take effect March 1 and will also include reduced co-pays for some seniors.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has announced the discounts made possible by recently approved increases in federal payments to Medicare HMOs.

The changes affect Anthem's Senior Advantage and Medicare Preferred plans, which cover people in 25 Ohio counties and six Kentucky counties.

The changes vary by county and by type of plan. There are three versions of Anthem Senior Advantage - Basic, Standard, and Premier - which offer different levels of coverage.

For example, monthly premiums for the Anthem Senior Advantage "Premier" plan will drop from $90 to $80 for some Ohio counties. In other Ohio counties, premiums for that plan will drop from $75 to $66. In Kentucky, premiums will fall from $90 to $84.

Co-payments for doctor office visits also will be reduced in most plans. Members could save $5 to $10 per doctor visit, depending on their plan.

Meanwhile, a $50 hospital co-payment for pulmonary rehabilitation will be eliminated.

And all hospital co-payments will be dropped after a patient's third hospital stay during a calendar year.

The rate changes apply for the rest of 2004.

Anthem is "in the process of informing existing members about the changes and revising marketing and enrollment materials for new members," officials said.

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E-mail tbonfield@enquirer.com