|
June 8, 2017
Amerigroup chosen as third-party administrator for Foundational Community Supports program
The Health Care Authority (HCA), in partnership with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), has selected Amerigroup as the third-party administrator for the jointly managed Foundational Community Supports program. The program is a critical part of Washington State’s Medicaid Transformation Demonstration.
Amerigroup will work with HCA to manage the program that provides supportive housing and supported employment services to eligible people enrolled in Apple Health (Medicaid).
“Eighty percent of what makes people healthy is determined outside of a doctor’s office,” said HCA Medicaid Director MaryAnne Lindeblad. “It’s tough to focus on being healthy if you’re homeless or impoverished. The Foundational Community Supports program provides access to basic human needs so that people can tend to their well-being.”
Carla Reyes, assistant secretary of Behavioral Health Administration at the Department of Social and Health Services, also welcomed the decision: “The Behavioral Health Administration looks forward to partnering with Amerigroup to implement these new benefits across Washington. Behavioral health, homelessness and unemployment are intertwined. These new foundational community support benefits have the opportunity to transform lives.”
“There is a vital need in our communities to expand services that assist individuals to find, access, and maintain housing and employment,” said Bea Rector, acting assistant secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration at DSHS. “By working together to improve access across the state to these important services, Washingtonians with significant needs have a brighter, healthier future.”
Amerigroup is active in 11 states, serving people enrolled in government-sponsored programs including Medicaid. The organization already has presence in Washington as an Apple Health managed care organization, working with practitioners throughout the state. The third-party administrator work will be entirely separate from the Apple Health contract.
“Amerigroup is honored to have been selected as third-party administrator for the Foundational Community Supports (FCS) program in Washington and to provide this service and support to individuals enrolled in Washington State Medicaid,” said Amerigroup Washington President Craig Smith. “While Amerigroup has served Washington Medicaid members since 2012, we are proud to be the first managed care organization in the U.S. to provide this unique service in collaboration with Washington State Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, and providers. We are committed to supporting the state’s transformation vision, which is the foundation of the FCS program, and we are committed to successfully achieving HCA’s aim to transform the state’s Medicaid delivery system. The state’s Healthier Washington initiative provides us all with a powerful opportunity to bridge the divide between the health care system and community and social supports, so that the whole person’s health and wellness are addressed.”
Background
The Demonstration is a five-year initiative to transform how health care is delivered in Washington’s Medicaid program. It is part of Healthier Washington, a partnership of HCA, DSHS, the Department of Health, and many community partners.
Learn more about the Foundational Community Supports program:
|
