Aetna to Participate in Ohio’s Integrated Care Program for Medicare/Medicaid Members
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Aetna Better Health of Ohio, an Aetna (NYSE: ) company that was named as one of five health insurance companies to administer a health plan in Ohio for individuals receiving both Medicare and Medicaid coverage, announced today it has chosen to implement plans in the central, southwest, and northwest regions of the state.
Insurance companies were scored based on a competitive bidding process. Companies with a high enough score in more than three of seven regions in the state were eligible to choose their service areas. Aetna Better Health of Ohio was one of the highest scoring plans.
“We chose these regions because of the strong partnerships we already have with physicians, community agencies and other providers in the Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo areas,” said Jan Stallmeyer, senior vice president, Central Region, for Aetna Medicaid. “We look forward to building on those partnerships to promote innovations that improve preventive care, care coordination and integrated behavioral and physical health.”
Dual eligibles can start enrolling in these health plans beginning in April of 2013. Dual eligibles - those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid - often require more care than a typical Medicare or Medicaid recipient.
The state’s new plan will change the way care is delivered and paid for by better coordinating the long-term care, behavioral-health and physical-health services provided to these patients. The state's new model of care, called an integrated care delivery system, is based on the following:
“We’re excited to be a part of the state’s plans to implement this new model that promises to provide better care, while at the same time, saves money,” said Stallmeyer.
“Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging also looks forward to working closely with Aetna Better Health and other companies around the state implementing the Integrated Care Delivery System pilot program,” said Larke Recchie, executive director of the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging. “The Area Agencies on Aging are committed to building innovative partnerships that result in better coordination of medical care and the long-term care home and community services for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.”
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