This document provides a communication plan for implementing the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) within Kaiser Permanente. It involves coordinating communications across IT, business, and healthcare audiences. The plan outlines key messages about the scope of changes required and tight timeline. It proposes using existing channels like meetings, articles, and memos to provide updates on progress, issues, and successes. Metrics will measure awareness of MMA's impact. The roles of the communications team in developing and delivering coordinated messages according to the timeline are also defined.

1. Medicare Modernization Act (MMA)
Elevator Speech
The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) will go into effect on January 1, 2006. For the first time, senior citizens will have outpatient
prescription drugs paid for by Medicare. The prescription drug coverage, known as Medicare Part D, KP’s participation in Medicare
represents 10% of KP members, accounting for 30% of revenue.
MMA compliance requires multi-faceted and complicated changes to business process and systems across many functions and in all regions.
Some changes must be in effect in 2005, with a fully compliant implementation in place by January 1, 2006.
For KP-IT, this means a tremendous amount of work to remediate systems, such as membership and PIMS, along with scores of ancillary
systems such as billing, in an organized manner.
The team is working long hours in a compressed time frame, against frequently changing requirements to deliver minimal, essential
functionality across all regions in phases, starting in January, 2006.
Since MMA implementation is a cross-functional initiative, it will require communications beyond our normal channels. We will seek out,
identify and reach every affected department and individual employee to deliver the information necessary for them to provide excellent health
care.

2. Timeline*
Phase 1: Now—January, 2006
Guiding Principles:
 We will stick to IT subjects regarding MMA
 We will focus on leadership and regional messages
 The communications will be fast and uniform
 Everything we produce will be put into a central repository for reference
 We will use existing venues whenever possible
 We will celebrate successes and recognize the implementation teams
 We will ensure that the right messaging goes to the right audience
Communication Objectives
Equip regional IT leaders as key communicators. Provide information and tools to the RIOs to help them keep themselves, their staff,
business partners informed on status, progress and issues with MMA IT systems deployment on a timely basis, allowing them to take action
as needed.
Collaborate with business communicators to ensure inclusion of IT messages. Create and provide a network of cross-functional
communications between regions, business partners, senior leadership and all affected KP employees.
Celebrate success and communicate effort. Keep KP-IT employees and leadership informed of the milestones and successes reached as
the largest IT implementation in KP’s history takes shape. Expose behind-the-scenes work to spotlight the IT staff and innovations that make
this project successful.
Key Messages*/Themes
All of KP-IT will understand:
 KP-IT will do whatever it takes to meet the 1/1/06 MMA implementation deadline.
 With over 850,000 Medicare participants enrolled, successful implementation of MMA is vital to our financial success and member
satisfaction. 10% of all members have Medicare/Medicaid, representing 30% of KP’s total revenue.
 Complying with the new regulations requires KP-IT to make substantive process and system modifications to get ready, under an
extremely tight timeframe and changing requirements. IT is not the driver, we’re the engine.
 How we enroll members, and ensure correct eligibility information, will require both process and system changes. Greater
collaboration between business and IT than ever before.
KP-IT & HPA and Senior Leadership will know:
 Huge impact on HPA work:

3. o Call volume in HPA’s Member Service Call Centers will significantly increase as members try to understand the new benefits,
which are difficult to maneuver through. It is anticipated that every eligible member will call at least once.
o Our reporting systems within HPA’s Claims Administration will need to capture and track different information from what we
currently maintain.
 We will support regional delivery of training so employees can hit the ground running at what they do best – taking care of members.
 KP-IT and and the business have been working behind the scenes, and now needs all IT staff to respond to requests for help as
needed.

4. udiences:
Stakeholder Group Required Information Objectives
Business Audiences:
KP Business Leadership  Leadership Memos (contributor) High level communication of MMA activities
 IT Leadership Memos Set realistic expectations of outcomes
 FAQ Keep senior leadership in the loop
 Regular progress updates
 It might not work the first time, and
why
 Budget is being properly allocated in
line with time frame
RACs  Report from RIOs
IT & HPA Audiences 
IT Managers 
RIOs (Audience and as source of information)  Bi-weekly RIO individual meetings  RIOs to be conduits of
 Live presentation at RIO monthly communications to their business
meetings partners and staff
  RIOs are apprised of situation and
can act accordingly in a timely manner
KP-IT Employees  Recipients of national and regional
MMA Internal Communications
Regional Project Managers (IT)  How regions should prepare  Clarify specific requests from IT
Cross Functional MMA Teams (IT)  Support and help of SLT  Ensure two-way communication so
 Recognition that project teams are supporting
 Information from ESR each other and properly escalating
issues.
 Weekly updates (how?)
Measurement
 Success is defined as all KP-IT /HPA employees having an awareness of MMA and its impact to KP-IT /HPA, well enough that they
could explain it to another person if asked.

5.  Affected audiences understand the scope of the project beyond their own component of it.
 KP-IT and HPA employees will understand:
o The phased releases of MMA
o the short time frame for testing and training may result in errors
o that 1/1/06 will bring minimal functionality; further functionality will continue into Q3 06.
o what they need to do, how to get help and escalate issues
Scope
 Communications within KP-IT / HPA.
 Contribute to communications to KP audiences
 External audiences beyond KP are out of scope.
Issues
 Multiple messages to various internal audiences
 Messages to, from and within senior management
 Not all news is good news
 Celebrate successes; explain root causes for any malfunctions
Spokespersons
 Adrienne Edens (to Management)
 Mary Woods (Internal Business Communications)
 AJ Bovee—Project Communicator
Communications Team Roles and Responsibilities
Susan Olofson: Communications strategy; reviewer/approver of messages;
AJ Bovee: Project Management leadership
Dave Scott/Chris Smith: Project Communicators
Adrienne Edens: Spokesperson for leadership
Tom Snyder: Initial guidance on planning; does drafts
Pam Rosen: Liaison to other communicators in business , IT and HPA

6. Communication Plan—Comprehensive
MENU OF POTENTIAL TACTICS/DELIVERABLES
Communication
Description Features
Method
In Person  RIOs—facilitation and communication of issues critical to  Keeps RIOS engaged and informed
Leadership each RIO  A conduit to two-way, “top-down/bottom up”
Meetings  MMA Leads—to offer communications help and seek communication
information to communicate down the chain  A means of
Includes:  MMA Comm—to see where IT can offer communications  Direct
- RIOs that can fit into and enhance the existing plan; feed  Makes leaders visible to employees across the
- MMA Leads materials to syndicate to external audiences where locations
- MMA Comm appropriate  Provides repository for feedback/issues (e.g. online
Team  Technical Team—to discover key issues and determine survey)
-Technical the communication needs surrounding them
Leadership  Direct email communication to employees from Herman  Establishes SL as MMA champion
Message from Weil to introduce new MMA IT concepts, milestones and  Low cost
Herman accomplishments  Direct
 High credibility/high readership factor
 Fast
 Reaches wide target audience
Success Stories  TWIIT article success stories that can also be syndicated  Consistent messages across IT and Business
to other audiences  Low cost
 Illustrates results that have been achieved and  Direct
recognizes work done in the trenches.  Generic and informative
 Platform for recognition
 Reaches wide target audience
ITinerary Provide ongoing information from the RIOs across IT 
RIO Bi-Weekly Provide 1:1 forum between National Team and RIOs to  Direct
Calls resolve issues and raise questions  Allows RIOs to speak freely without the presence of
their peers
 Can be tracked and recorded
Contributions to MMA Website  Provides a presence without having to create a new
existing websites The Hub entity

7. Communication Plan—Comprehensive
Communication
Description Features
Method
HPA Website  Keeps MMA in focus across the enterprise
National Portal  The right message to the right people at the right time
RIO Meetings Snapshot update presentation/Q&A  Presents complex information in a simple, easy to
follow short presentation
 Fosters live conversation and sharing of regional issues
among RIO leadership
 Provides instant feedback on issues as they are
discussed
Bi-Weekly Talking Brief, one page weekly document provided to RIOs to equip  Easy to read breakdown of ESR
Points them with the latest news and information and to prepare  Most important parts to each RIO easily found
them for any issues they may face or discussions that must  Quick to produce
take place
TIMELINE OF DELIVERABLES
Entry WHEN WHAT TO WHOM KEY MESSAGE(S) FROM WHOM STATUS
# (Delivery (Activity / Project / (Audience) (Content) (Messenger) (Pending,
date) Vehicle type) On-going,
In Progress,
Complete)
11/9 Leadership Memo SLT Kick off of Comm Plan and “what to expect” Adrienne DONE
10/14 TWIIT KP-IT staff Success! MMA Milestone Reached as Pam DONE
Clock Strikes 12
Herman Weil SLT, RIOs, IOs MMA Pharmacy Implementation DONE
Memo
11/1 RIO Meeting RIO meeting deck: a) info update & Done
milestones; b) issues/mitigation/what we
need, c) Q&A. Also facilitation to ensure
engagement
11/5 TWIIT Article Broad IT Bus. and IT collaboration to create event Pam R DONE
audiences based methodology to deliver MMA on time

8. Communication Plan—Comprehensive
Entry WHEN WHAT TO WHOM KEY MESSAGE(S) FROM WHOM STATUS
# (Delivery (Activity / Project / (Audience) (Content) (Messenger) (Pending,
date) Vehicle type) On-going,
In Progress,
Complete)
11/12 MMA Talking RIOs Key issues needing addressing (delivered AJ DONE
Points Meetings 1 bi-weekly)
11/12 (TBD) Adrienne/Cliff(?) MMA Status of MMA to date, Adrienne/Cliff DONE
memo Leadership Call to action on regional participation
11/18 Personal memo RIOS Set up specific individualized calls to AJ DONE
to RIOS discuss regional issues before
Thanksgiving
11/8 Herman memo SLT Overview of October and November Mary (via Pam) DONE
activities and look-ahead to December
12/2 TWIIT Article Broad IT November 18 implementation Pam Cancelled?
Audiences,
syndicated
11/30 RIO Meeting RIO AJ to review key issues distilled from AJ Pam and
RIO calls Susan
drafting
12/12 RIO Call RIOs Get on agenda for AJ final check in for AJ
support and status for 12/18 code drop
By 12/9 RIO 1:1 Meetings RIOs, PMs, Key issues needing addressing (delivered AJ Pending
bi-weekly)
12/9 TWIIT Article Broad IT The Technology of MMA Pam Pushed off for
Audiences, LIS story?
syndicated
12/9 Itinerary IT Management Article—what can you do for MMA Pam pending
12/15 Herman Memo SLT TBD Mary (via Pam) pending
1/6 TWIIT Article Broad IT Successful implementation of MMA Pam Pending
Audiences
1/? RIO Meeting RIOS RIO meeting deck: a) info update & Pam, Susan
milestones; b) issues/mitigation/what we
need, c) Q&A. Also facilitation to ensure
engagement

9. Communication Plan—Comprehensive