Washington, D.C.—The Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that the District will receive $48,586,609 in federal funding to support the design, development, implementation and operation of a new Medicaid and Human Services eligibility system, enrollment and case management system.
“Our respective agency staff worked tirelessly to meet the requirements to receive approval for our Planning and Implementation Advance Planning Document,” said DHCF Director Wayne Turnage. “This is a key step as we move forward with implementing health care reform. It is vitally important that we have an efficient infrastructure in place to ensure that there are no interruptions in service to our beneficiaries due to an outdated case management system.”
To secure federal funding for the project, the two agencies had to submit a Planning and Implementation Advance Planning Document (P&IAPD) which outlined the design, development, implementation, and operation of a new Medicaid and Human Services eligibility, enrollment and integrated case management system that would ensure compliance with the mandates of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. On December 20, 2011, CMS approved the P&IAPD which will be implemented through a series of phased releases: Release I for health insurance affordability programs including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Health Insurance Exchange (HIX); Release II for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LHEAP), Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance, and Program on Work, Employment and Responsibility (POWER); and Release III for locally funded public assistance programs.
"Approval of this plan will help DHS and other District agencies to provide efficient and coordinated services to individuals and families. The Advance Planning Document provides not only a plan in which to initiate the work but also a meaningful manner in which to measure and document how we are doing," said David A. Berns, Director, Department of Human Services (DHS).
The District will be required to submit an annual Advance Planning Document Update (APDU) by the end of March 2012 which must include a project activity status, revised project activity schedule and project expenditure status.
For additional information on DHCF, please visit the Department of Health Care Finance at www.dhcf.dc.gov.