This week, our In Focus reviews the Mississippi request for qualifications (RFQ) for the state’s traditional Mississippi Coordinated Access Network (MississippiCAN) Medicaid program and the state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The RFQ, released by the Mississippi Division of Medicaid on December 10, 2021, seeks two to three health plans to serve roughly 480,000 individuals. This is the first time the state is seeking plans, which it refers to as Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), to jointly administer MississippiCAN and CHIP.
Government Programs & The Uninsured
District of Columbia Releases Medicaid Managed Care RFP
This week, our In Focus section reviews the District of Columbia (DC) Medicaid managed care request for proposals (RFP), released on November 19, 2021, by the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance. The procurement will cover DC Healthy Families Program (DCHFP), including adults with special health care needs; District of Columbia Healthcare Alliance Program (Alliance); and Immigrant Children’s Program (ICP). DC expects to award contracts to up to three managed care organizations (MCOs), covering physical, behavioral health, and pharmacy services. Contract approval is expected by June 2022 and implementation in October 2022.
Missouri Releases Medicaid Managed Care RFP
This week our In Focus reviews the Missouri MO HealthNet (MHD) Medicaid Managed Care Program request for proposals (RFP), released on November 19, 2021, by the Department of Social Services (DSS). The MHD managed care program serves about 850,000 Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) members including the state’s newly implemented Medicaid expansion population, across all regions of Missouri. Missouri’s General Plan managed care program covers TANF, CHIP, expansion and similar eligibility groups but does not include individuals with disabilities or those over age 65. The RFP also contains a separate section for a single, statewide Specialty Plan for foster children and children receiving adoption subsidy assistance. Managed care organizations must bid on and win a General Plan contract in order to be eligible for the Specialty Plan contract.
Rhode Island Releases Medicaid Managed Care RFQ
This week our In Focus reviews the Rhode Island Medicaid managed care request for qualifications (RFQ), released on November 12, 2021, by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). Contracts are worth approximately $1.4 billion annually and cover over 300,000 individuals.
Former South Dakota Medicaid Director Joins Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company
Bill Snyder, former South Dakota Medicaid director, has joined Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company as a principal with the firm. He is the third former Medicaid Director to join the Health Management Associates (HMA) family of companies this year.
Minnesota Releases Senior Health Options, Special Needs Basic Care RFPs
This week our In Focus reviews Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) requests for proposals (RFPs) for two of the state’s Medicaid managed care programs: Minnesota Senior Health Options/Minnesota Senior Care Plus and Special Needs BasicCare/Integrated Special Needs BasicCare. Both RFPs, released on October 25, 2021, cover health care services in all 87 Minnesota counties.
Key takeaways from CMS Innovation Center strategy refresh
This week, our In Focus section shares HMA’s takeaways from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) white paper on the CMS Innovation Center Strategy Refresh: Driving Health System Transformation – A Strategy for the CMS Innovation Center’s Second Decade.
Highlights from Kaiser/HMA 50-State Medicaid Director Survey
This week, our In Focus section reviews highlights and shares key takeaways from the 21st annual Medicaid Budget Survey conducted by The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and Health Management Associates (HMA). Survey results were released on October 27, 2021, in two new reports: States Respond to COVID-19 Challenges but Also Take Advantage of New Opportunities to Address Long-Standing Issues: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 and Medicaid Enrollment & Spending Growth: FY 2021 & 2022. The report was prepared by Kathleen Gifford, Aimee Lashbrook, and Sarah Barth from HMA; Mike Nardone; and by Elizabeth Hinton, Madeline Guth, Lina Stolyar, and Robin Rudowitz from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD).
HMA Brief Examines Options for CMMI to Refine Approach for Testing Medicare Program Improvements
This week, our In Focus highlights a recent issue brief, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation: Recommendations for Future Direction, revisits questions raised in a previous HMA report and offers potential answers to guide progress and changes for demonstrations within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) or the Innovation Center.
2022 Star Ratings, An Historical Year
This week, our In Focus provides an analysis of 2022 Medicare Advantage (MA) Star Ratings, including a look at how regulatory changes during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a record number of Medicare plans receiving historically high scores. HMA Managing Director Anthony Davis and Principal Sarah Owens rely on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to take a deep dive into ratings for nearly 500 Medicare plans serving 26.8 million members.