(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) released the Request for Proposal (RFP) that will be used to solicit bids from managed care companies that are interested in coordinating the delivery of health care services provided to District residents through the Medicaid and Alliance programs. The RFP will allow DHCF to simultaneously secure a third health plan for the final year of the current contract which ends on April 30th, 2013 and select three health plans for the new contract beginning May 1st 2013.
“As we approach the opportunities and challenges of health care reform, it is imperative that the District pay close attention to the growing cost pressures in the current Medicaid budget as well as issues around the quality of care received by program beneficiaries.” said DHCF Director Wayne Turnage. “Accordingly, we are looking for health plans with innovative ideas and a demonstrated commitment to managing a cost effective delivery of care to beneficiaries in our health insurance programs.
Currently DHCF spends more than $600 million on its managed care program for approximately 165,000 Medicaid and Alliance beneficiaries. The health plans that are selected will be required to meet quantifiable measures of network adequacy, enhanced case management requirements, program staffing standards, aggressive and innovative outreach objectives, improved hospital outcomes, and achieve certain performance standards.
DHCF is excited about the opportunity to invite new health plans to the Medicaid and Alliance programs as it seeks to evaluate the efficacy of managed care in controlling cost while producing better outcomes for program beneficiaries.