Rockford, Illinois (PRWEB) July 29, 2013
The Community Care Alliance of Illinois (CCAI) today announced its entry into the Rockford area to provide comprehensive health care and wellness services to people with disabilities and seniors covered by Medicaid. CCAI is a nonprofit Managed Care Community Network (MCCN). Voluntary enrollment for people with disabilities and seniors on Medicaid began on July 1, 2013.
CCAI was selected by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to provide integrated care for people with disabilities covered by Medicaid. The Integrated Care Program (ICP) is one of the programs developed by the state to help reach their goal of having 50 percent of all Medicaid recipients enrolled in care coordination by 2015, as required by law. CCAI is the only nonprofit managed care organization participating in the ICP. CCAI assumes the risk in providing quality health outcomes. As there are no profits, all revenue goes to providing more benefits to network members.
“The Community Care Alliance of Illinois is thrilled to announce our entry into the Rockford market. We are excited about providing a new level of care to people with disabilities and complex health care needs in the Rockford area,” said CCAI President Greg Alexander.
“Through the Integrated Care Program, we expect better health outcomes for our clients, because a network of providers will work in a collaborative fashion to address the holistic needs of our clients,” HFS Director Julie Hamos said. “We are pleased to have provider networks like CCAI provide this type of coordinated care that is essential to meet the complex needs of our most vulnerable clients.”
The CCAI provider network has 295 primary-care providers, 196 specialists and three hospitals in the Rockford area, all experienced serving the health and wellness needs of people with disabilities. The CCAI Model of Care uses a system of anchor health homes to provide wrap-around care, coordination and support for members. CCAI employs a Provider Office Accessibility Check List to ensure all network sites are fully accessible for people with disabilities, and training to ensure providers have the competency needed to treat and relate to people with disabilities. CCAI Anchor Health Homes in the Rockford area include:
- Rockford Health System, Northern Illinois’ largest system, and its centerpiece, Rockford Memorial Hospital.
- Crusader Community Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center
“We look forward to working with the Community Care Alliance of Illinois to better coordinate the care of people with disabilities. The care and treatment provided will enhance their quality of life,” said Gordon Eggers, President & CEO, Crusader Community Health.
Achieving positive health outcomes and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities requires attention to the entire spectrum of need. The CCAI Model of Care encompasses six domains of care and support, including long-term care:
- Medical
- Functional (e.g. mobility, activities of daily living, memory, problem solving)
- Environmental (housing, community, transportation)
- Financial (basic and medical needs)
- Social Support (Friends, family, social groups)
- Psychological (Stress management, mental illness)
CCAI employs disability-competent interdisciplinary-care teams to manage each member’s care, including a primary-care physician and nurse practitioner, a registered nurse care coordinator available 24/7, a long-term services and support coordinator, medical specialists and rehabilitation services. CCAI will also engage Peer Navigators, people with disabilities themselves who understand the challenges faced by their peers and can offer solutions that help achieve greater independence and quality of life.
Community Care Alliance of Illinois was formed by a group of concerned parties committed to improving the way health care is managed and provided to people with disabilities, including Access Living, an Independent Living Center for people with disabilities, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Schwab Rehabilitation Center, the Health and Policy Research Group, and the Family Health Network, which has provided managed care for enrollees in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for 14 years.
Family Health Network (FHN), founded in 1995 to bring quality health insurance to those who need it the most, is the parent company of CCAI. FHN has been the only not-for-profit managed care community network serving Chicago and Cook County, and is directed by local health care providers. Through years of steady growth, FHN has become a leader in government-sponsored (Medicaid) managed care programs, serving members with excellent providers and hospitals, including psychiatric and children's facilities. FHN has remained successful while other provider sponsored and for-profit plans have come and gone.
“We think we have proven the effectiveness of the not-for-profit, community network and provider-involved model for achieving better health-care results and life quality for beneficiaries. CCAI is the next step for better care and support for people with disabilities,” said FHN CEO Keith Kudla.
Consumer control is a central part of the CCAI model. Two representatives with disabilities serve on the board of directors, and CCAI has formed a groundbreaking disability community stakeholders forum in addition to the state-required consumer advisory council. Both are part of the ongoing planning and implementation of services.
The State of Illinois has identified Medicaid enrollees in the Rockford area, including Boone, Winnebago and McHenry Counties, to be enrolled in an Integrated Care Plan. Eligible Medicaid recipients could enroll voluntarily starting July 1, 2013 in one of three plans: CCAI, Aetna Better Health and Illini Care, a subsidiary of Centene. Eligible enrollees in the Rockford area have been sent a letter that instructs them to choose a plan by early August or be automatically enrolled in one of the three plans.
CCAI has had a presence in the Rockford area since May. The local CCAI outreach team has been conducting public education and community outreach to make sure community leaders and organizations have all the facts and resources they need to help consumers make informed decisions in choosing their health care plan.
More information about the Community Care Alliance of Illinois can be found at http://www.ccaillinois.com.
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Contact: Sarah Mahisekar
312-880-1660
smahisekar(at)fhnchicago(dot)com