A key indicator that Medicaid Transformation is back is the recent publication of the Request for Application (RFA) for the BH/IDD Tailored Plan. The Tailored Plan is scheduled to go-live on July 1, 2022, one year after the Standard Plan is implemented. And with all of the requirements in the RFA for physical health, it is clear that the BH/IDD Tailored Plan will be a major shift in service delivery and payment mechanisms for our system.
NC DHHS Secretary for Medicaid Dave Richard recently spoke to the Medical Care Advisory Committee on December 11th about the commitment of the Department to move forward with Medicaid Managed Care Implementation. Richard characterized the move to managed care in Medicaid as the means to meet the larger priorities of the State, i.e. value-based care and integrated care behavioral health and physical health care services.
Here is a breakdown of the current Medicaid Managed Care Implementation timeline: Read more
i2i to Convene Consumers to Define Value of Care Management for Individuals and Families
The Delta Center for a Thriving Public Safety Net has awarded the i2i Center for Integrative Health and the NC Community Health Centers Association (NCCHCA) a one-year grant. The grant will allow i2i and NCCHCA to work with consumers, providers and payors to define the value of care management.
Under this grant, i2i along with NCCHCA will convene a collaborative of 20 individuals, comprised of 14 consumers and 6 providers (payors will also be consulted). The Department of Health Benefits will also participate in the group as final recommendations will be provided to NC DHHS with the hope of shaping how care management is carried out under both the Standard Plan and Tailored Plans.
I appreciate and welcome the opportunity to offer a few comments as I look forward to my upcoming retirement on 12/31. As those of you who attended our Pinehurst conference heard me say, it has truly been my privilege to serve in this leadership role with i2i (as well as our legacy organization). I’ve learned a great deal about North Carolina’s unique service system, about what really matters to the people that system is responsible to, and about myself. While the take-aways from my experiences are far too many to list, there are 2 overarching concepts that I’ve learned and value above all: that the folks who work inside the larger BH/IDD/SUD system bring a variety of skillsets and opinions to this work, but all share a bottom-line commitment to making that system work; and that equal consumer participation and direction are absolutely required for progress to occur.
i2i Establishes the Mary Hooper Consumer & Family Member Participation Fund
The i2i Center is committed to ensuring that the consumer/family and advocate perspective is included in policy development and legislative processes from early development to implementation. This is the legacy of the i2i Center’s first Executive Director, Mary Hooper.
Throughout her career, Mary has recognized the sacrifices that consumers and families make to be a part of policy and legislative meetings. She has addressed the need for and benefit of consumer voice in discussions to ensure that recommendations and implementation are realistic and helpful to the people served. But creating opportunities for consumer participation has many challenges, and people require financial support, which is where your help is needed.
The i2i Center is announcing the Mary Hooper Consumer & Family Member Participation Fund as a new i2i donation category, in honor of Mary’s work with i2i, to provide scholarships to consumers, family members and advocates. This initiative will support the inclusion of consumers in i2i’s collaborative initiatives, conferences and trainings. We hope you will take the opportunity to support this important initiative.
Donors will be recognized on i2i’s website and in a future News Brief.
Regional Advocacy Institutes Encourage Youth and Families to Be Active
This fall, close to 1000 stakeholders participated in four virtual regional Advocacy Institutes. The Institutes were free opportunities for youth, family members and advocates to hone their skills in impacting legislation and policy. The i2i Center was a co-sponsor and presenter at these events and was joined by the NC Collaborative for Children, Youth and Families, Prevent Child Abuse NC, NC Child, MomsRising and the Foster Family Alliance of NC. Recordings of each institute are available on the NCCCYF website.
i2i is so pleased to report that we have been overwhelmed with positive feedback on our Virtual Pinehurst Conference from attendees, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. We are so appreciative of the wonderful and encouraging comments. We want to share just a few with you:
“I just wanted to give another huge round of applause to your team for pulling off a fabulous conference. We’ve attended/exhibited/sponsored many virtual conferences this year and yours was by far and wide the best. From content, to booth engagement and traffic, to the platform, I know it’s because your dedicated team worked tirelessly to make it happen.”
2020 presented significant challenges to everyone – whether they were health related, personal, financial, political, social, professional or other, we all experienced upheaval this year.
Because of these many changes, i2i felt it was important to acknowledge and highlight those in our service system who took on these challenges and were able to keep individuals engage, connected and cared for during these difficult months. This year’s Innovation Awards 2020 Challenge winners did this and more and we are pleased to highlight them here for you! You can also watch the Innovation Awards Presentation video from the Virtual Pinehurst Conference to learn more.
Medicaid Expansion Discussed at Governor’s Council
Governor Cooper established the NC Council for Health Care Coverage. The first meeting of this bipartisan group was held on December 4th. Governor Cooper has designated the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy as the staff for the Council. The Council members heard presentations from leaders who discussed Medicaid expansion, COVID-19, uninsured and health inequities.