Washington, DC - Today, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Trusted Health Plan (Trusted). Once approved, CareFirst will be one of three managed care plans serving over 270,000 District residents in the DC Medicaid and Alliance programs.

“Under the leadership of Thomas Duncan, Trusted Health Plan has been an integral part of the DC Medicaid managed care program for over six years. During this time, Trusted evolved from a local start up plan into a community integrated plan focused on the health care needs of the Medicaid enrollees in its panel”, said Wayne Turnage, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Director of the Department of Health Care Finance.

Trusted introduced wellness centers in the District, meeting beneficiaries where they live and providing face-to-face health education, case management, and nutritional counseling. Trusted was also successful in achieving all targets to reduce low acuity non-emergent visits, all-cause readmissions within 30 days and potentially preventable admissions through the District’s managed care performance-based incentive program, for two consecutive years.

In joining the Medicaid program, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) brings 80 plus years of experience in meeting the health care needs of its members and they serve more than 3.3 million enrollees in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland region. CareFirst’s care management expertise, including its Patient-Centered Medical Home model, will complement Trusted’s Medicaid experience and support the District’s efforts to improve health outcomes by advancing the concept of person-centered care.

Melisa Byrd, the District’s Medicaid Director, stated, “DHCF envisions a Medicaid program where all residents have the supports and services they need to be actively engaged in their health and to thrive as a result. I expect CareFirst will be a strong partner in helping us achieve this vision.”

The Department of Health Care Finance is the District’s State Medicaid Agency. The mission of the Department of Health Care Finance is to improve health outcomes by providing access to comprehensive, cost-effective and quality healthcare services for residents of the District of Columbia. For more on DHCF, please visit https://dhcf.dc.gov/.