Announcing Stakeholder Meetings on the Future of Integrated Care in New York State

• Presentation is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF)

In July, the Department of Health´s Division of Long Term Care, together with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, convened a stakeholder meeting on the future of integrated care in New York State. This was a kick–off meeting for a broader stakeholder process that will occur this fall. From September through December 2017, DOH will host a series of sessions designed to facilitate the conversation on how to plan for the State´s Medicare–Medicaid integrated care programs after 2019.

Background:

Since January 2015, NYSDOH has been operating the Fully–Integrated Duals Advantage program as a demonstration approved under the federal Financial Alignment Initiative. Improving the care experience for low–income seniors and people with disabilities who are Medicare–Medicaid enrollees – sometimes referred to as "dual eligible individuals" – is a priority for both CMS and NYSDOH. Through the demonstration approved under the Financial Alignment Initiative, CMS and NYSDOH work to provide Medicare–Medicaid enrollees with a better care experience by offering a participant–centered, well–coordinated, integrated care program that provides a more easily navigable and seamless path to all covered Medicare and Medicaid services.

In November 2016, DOH announced it would extend the Fully–Integrated Duals Advantage program through the end of 2019. Because CMS does not currently have the authority to allow New York to extend its demonstration beyond 2019, DOH simultaneously committed to bringing stakeholders together to plan for the future of integrated care, or what integrated care would look like starting in 2020 after the FIDA Demonstration ends. FIDA is just one of several integrated products offered by DOH. It is one of many managed care programs operated by DOH.

At the July 20, 2017 kick–off meeting, NYSDOH and CMS presented on the value of integrating Medicare and Medicaid services. The Integrated Care Resource Center providing some insights into how other states have been able to integrate Medicare and Medicaid outside of the Financial Alignment Initiative.

Because integrating Medicare and Medicaid services provides an opportunity to deliver better coordinated care, DOH is committed to providing the most integrated care possibly for its dual eligible consumers.

Future of Integrated Care Planning Meetings

Through this planning process, DOH and CMS will gather input and have discussion with stakeholders about various elements of program design that will influence the future of integrated care in New York State.

The Future of Integrated Care Stakeholder Workgroup will meet four times over the next few months. Stakeholders are invited to either attend the meetings in person or via webinar/conference call. Please note, however, that space is limited for these meetings and only two people from each organization or association will be permitted to attend in person. There is no limit on the number of people who will be able to join the webinar/conference calls. In addition to participating in the meetings, stakeholders will be invited to submit written comments with additional thoughts based on the meeting´s topics to DOH for 10 calendar days following each meeting using the BML FutureofIntegratedCare@health.ny.gov.

Each meeting will be structured to cover select topics. For each topic, there will be a brief presentation followed by discussion. We are seeking active participants who can commit to joining us for all four sessions. Please come to each meeting prepared to discuss the topics identified. The schedule and proposed agenda of topics for each session are below: