Top Bids Revealed for Medicaid’s Disability Care Program
TL/DR –
Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) intends to award six-year contracts to Florida Community Care and Simply Healthcare to test if managed care can combine traditional healthcare with home- and community-based services. The contracts for Medicaid Regions D and I only negotiated with Florida Community Care and Simply Healthcare, which had high scores in the Invitation to Negotiate (ITN). AHCA is expected to announce the winners of the statewide Medicaid managed care on 23 February.
Florida Medicaid Awards Contracts to Healthcare Providers
Florida Community Care and Simply Healthcare have been chosen by Florida Medicaid officials to receive six-year contracts. The state is evaluating the effectiveness of managed care in merging traditional health care with home- and community-based services.(source) (source)
New Contracts for Medicaid Regions D and I
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) confirmed the contracts for Medicaid Regions D and I, covering counties in Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk, Miami-Dade, and Monroe.
Managed Care Pilot Program in the Pipeline
The Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) received responses from Florida Community Care and Simply Healthcare, with respective scores of 983 and 938 out of a total possible score of 1000. (source)
Integration of Managed Care with Custom Care Plans
The move to integrate managed care comes from legislation under SB 2510. The bill authorizes up to 600 volunteers aged 18 or above, currently waiting for the Medicaid iBudget Waiver program, to participate in a new pilot program. (source)
Managed Care Plans Under Scrutiny
The iBudget Waiver program allows individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to avail home- and community-based services. However, integrating managed care has faced objections from advocates, family members, and caregivers in the past. As per the new ITN, individuals can choose to opt out of these Medicaid managed care plans.
Next Steps
The AHCA is expected to announce the winners of the statewide Medicaid managed care on Feb. 23. Further, the agency is negotiating a Medicaid dental ITN and plans to announce the recipients of these contracts on March 29.
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