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State could consider a hybrid approach to caring for aged, blind and disabled Medicaid recipients

June 5th, 2012

State officials announced Monday they plan to make a decision about the redesign of the state’s Medicaid program sometime this summer. The state was originally supposed to select a new system by April, but say they moved the deadline due to a large amount of stakeholder input. WABE spoke with those in charge of the process to see how restructuring efforts are progressing.

For months several task forces comprised of physicians, health care providers, advocates and other stakeholders have been meeting about the potential redesign. Georgia Department of Community Health Commissioner David Cook says so far the process is going well.

“Everybody is looking for new ways to deliver care more efficiently and more effectively.”

But Cook says one of the challenges has been figuring out a system that will work for the aged, blind and disabled.

“We’ve been exploring very interesting ideas and how to coordinate care better for the aged, blind and disabled population, and it’s a little harder to do with that particular population as we know we’ve been doing for the low-income Medicaid population.”

Currently Medicaid recipients who are aged, blind and disabled are receiving fee-for-service coverage. But a report released by a consulting firm in January called for those populations to move to a managed care system. A number of mental health advocates expressed concern about the report because they were worried about how the proposed system would impact a 2010 mental health settlement with the U.S. Justice Department. They said the report did not spell out how terms and conditions of the settlement, such as supportive housing, transportation and employment for the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill would be handled. Cook says the state is currently looking at several options for to care for those populations.

“We’ve looked at a number of different models, and I think you’re going to see a hybrid version. Obviously we have not made any decisions yet.”

Mental health advocates WABE has spoken with are happy to be part of the process. But they say it’s important the state ensures any potential Medicaid contractor can adequately address the needs of the developmentally disabled and mentally ill.