On September 11, 2019, the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) announced plans to move towards a fully managed Medicaid program over the next five years. This move aims to transform the managed care program into a more organized, accountable, and person-centered system that best supports the District of Columbia’s Medicaid beneficiaries in managing and improving their health.
Initially, DHCF will transition nearly 22,000 individuals currently in the Medicaid fee-for-service program to the Medicaid managed care program, effective October 1, 2020. Health care costs for individuals with fee-for-service coverage are typically four-to-five times greater than persons in managed care as they tend to experience substantially higher rates of emergency room use, hospital admissions, and inpatient stays. In addition, these beneficiaries must manage their health care needs without assistance or care coordination. By joining the managed care program, this population will receive access to much needed care coordination, and as a result, improved health outcomes.
DHCF is also launching two major changes that will improve equity and value for the Medicaid, Alliance, and Immigrant Children’s Programs (ICP). First, DHCF will expand value-based purchasing requirements in the managed care program to ensure Medicaid enrollees receive the best care possible. This change is intended to promote an enhanced focus on health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees to extract greater value from the District’s investment. Second, DHCF will implement universal contracting for critical providers in the city’s health care market. This will even the playing field and improve access to needed health care providers for all Medicaid enrollees. Given DHCF’s role as the payer for 40 percent of the District’s population, these changes will also have a broader positive impact for the District’s health care delivery system.
To effectuate these changes, DHCF will work with the Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) to re-bid the contracts for its managed care program. The current contractors in the managed care program – AmeriHealth Caritas of DC (AmeriHealth), Amerigroup, and Trusted Health Plan (Trusted) will operate the program as presently organized for Fiscal Year 2020.
DHCF is excited about the opportunity to invite health plans to compete for contracts in a restructured managed care program for the Medicaid, CHIP, Immigrant Children’s and Alliance programs. OCP will manage the competitive procurement process and Director George Shutter will soon announce the release of the request for proposals. DHCF anticipates announcing the selection of the winning bidders in the Spring of 2020.
The Department of Health Care Finance is the District’s State Medicaid Agency. The mission of the Department of Health Care Finance is to improve health outcomes by providing access to comprehensive, cost-effective and quality healthcare services for residents of the District of Columbia.
This was reported by the Department of Health Care Finance on September 11, 2019.
Contact information: Department of Health Care Finance, 441 4th Street, NW, 900S, Washington, District of Columbia 20001; 202-442-5988; Email: dhcf@dc.gov; Website: https://dhcf.dc.gov/
