FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: J. Keith Smith, Lee County Public Resources
(941) 335-2665

LEE TV BROADCASTS VIDEO ON HMO'S

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 04, 2001) - LEE TV, Lee County Government's full time government access channel, will be broadcasting a video produced by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs that provides basic Medicare information to elders and their caregivers.

The program, entitled "Medicare HMO's: Understanding Your Rights and Options," has been edited from a two-hour satellite teleconference conducted in October 2001. It features a panel of Medicare representatives presenting information and answering questions about a variety of topics, which include:

· HMO's vs. traditional Medicare
· Advantages and disadvantages of HMO's
· How to appeal an HMO decision
· What to do if you are affected by HMO non-renewals
· New rules for switching Medicare plans, which become effective this year
· Resources for people without access to HMO's or who choose to remain on original Medicare

The program will be broadcast each Wednesday and Friday at 11:00am during the month of January. Residents can watch the program on the following cable systems:

· Time Warner, channel 16
· ComCast, channel 27 (Lehigh Acres)
· ComCast, channel 11 (S. Lee Co., N. Ft. Myers, check your cable)

There is also a 1-800 helpline number displayed throughout the program for viewers to call for further information during the hours 8:00am to 5:00pm.

LEE TV's broadcast schedule is posted on the County's website at:
www.lee-county.com. Click on the link listed on the home page to view the schedule and other information about programming.