The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services issued the following news release:
A program that brings different kinds of Medicaid-funded health care together in a coordinated, client-centered framework has shown improvement in client services and satisfaction since it was launched in Snohomish County two years ago.
That's among the findings of a report prepared by the State Department of Social and Health (DSHD) Services Health and Recovery Services and Aging and Disability Services administrations, under a $50,000 grant funded by the Center for Health Care Strategies.
The survey by DSHS Research and Data Analysis indicated that provider access and drug coverage were the biggest challenges for the Washington Medicaid Integration Partnership's (WMIP) managed care contractor, Molina Healthcare of Washington.
The report analyzed three comparison surveys between WMIP enrollees, WMIP enrollees who left the program and clients who received services through regular Medicaid systems of care.
The integration project began in January 2005, when medical care services and chemical dependency treatment began coordination under Molina. Mental health services were added in the fall of that year for the several thousand elderly and disabled Snohomish County residents enrolled in the project. Long-term care was added in the fall of 2006.
The evaluation included analysis of WMIP's impact on the existing system of care, and improvements the project made in the care of clients with chronic conditions.
The evaluation concluded that Molina's performance showed improvement over the two years: 40 percent of clients felt that their care was better coordinated since joining Molina, compared to only seven percent who felt care coordination had gotten worse with the remaining clients responding that their care stayed the same.
Furthermore, 24 percent of the clients surveyed said the health care plan had improved, compared to only five percent who said service had not improved, with the remaining clients responding that the health plan's performance had stayed the same.
Spokesmen for Molina said the analysis was helpful, reflecting improvements the plan made over the two years and highlighting areas that need more effort.
"The findings also support our belief that we are on the right track with WMIP," a statement from Molina noted.
Areas in which WMIP clients were more satisfied as compared to DSHS respondents were:
* Fewer problems with delays while waiting for approval for health care.
* Shorter waiting times for appointments for routine care.
* Better customer service and less paperwork.
Some areas where satisfaction was lower as compared to DSHS respondents included:
* Getting help by phone during regular office hours.
* Getting help for an illness, injury or condition that needed immediate care.
* Prescription drug coverage.
The WMIP program is voluntary, and about one in three (37 percent) of the clients who left the program said they actively chose to leave - most because of access problems or dissatisfaction with prescription drug coverage. DSHS analysts said the latter probably reflected some clients' difficulty in adjusting to a managed care formulary.
The survey showed that more than half (53 percent) left because either they no longer were eligible for Medicaid services or because they moved from the county.
Integrating Medicaid services
In Washington State, "Medicaid" often refers to the state-federal program that provides medical coverage for low-income residents. But, Medicaid dollars also support other health services - mental health services, long-term care, and treatment for alcohol and substance abuse. Traditionally, those services have been administered by different parts of DSHS with different vendors, different rules and separate requirements. The Washington Medicaid Integration Partnership (WMIP) is the state's attempt to show that bringing those services back together will be more efficient as well as offer higher quality care for patients.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND:
Jim Stevenson, Communications Director, HRSA, DSHS, 360-902-7604
Copies of the WMIP client survey may be obtained by e-mail request from stevejh2@dshs.wa.gov
WMIP ON THE INTERNET: http://maa.dshs.wa.gov/MIP
Dale Ahlskog, President, Molina Healthcare of Washington, 1-800-869-7175
Jan Cunningham, Government Contracts Manager, Molina Healthcare, 425-424-7119
MOLINA ON THE INTERNET: http://www.molinahealthcare.com/washington.Contact: Doug Porter, 360/725-1867, portejd@dshs.wa.gov; MaryAnne Lindeblad, 360/725-1630, lindem@dshs.wa.gov; Alice Lind, 360/725-1712, lindar@dshs.wa.gov; David Mancuso, 360/902-7557, mancudc@dshs.wa.gov.
Doug Porter, 360/725-1867, portejd@dshs.wa.gov; MaryAnne Lindeblad, 360/725-1630, lindem@dshs.wa.gov; Alice Lind, 360/725-1712, lindar@dshs.wa.gov; David Mancuso, 360/902-7557, mancudc@dshs.wa.gov.
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