For Immediate Release:
January 16, 2019
Media Contact:
Amy Webb
Chief of Communications & Community Engagement
[email protected]
Marci Manley
Deputy Chief of Communications
[email protected]
Three PASSEs Sign, Move Forward in DHS PASSE Model
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) – Three organizations have signed agreements and have chosen to move forward to the next phase of implementation in the Provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) program, the Arkansas Department of Human Services announced Wednesday.
Arkansas Total Care, Empower Healthcare Solutions, and Summit Community Care have chosen to progress to Phase II while ForeverCare Health Plan has notified DHS that the organization has made a business decision not to move into Phase II. As a result, its clients will be reassigned.
Four PASSEs have been providing care coordination for clients since early 2018. ForeverCare will continue providing care coordination and assist in transitioning their approximately 7,600 members to the members' newly assigned PASSE. ForeverCare members will be reassigned to a new PASSE and each member will be given a 90-day period in which they can choose a new PASSE. Those needing assistance may contact choice counselors at 1(833) 402-0672. On March 1, the three PASSEs will begin receiving monthly payments from DHS to manage the complete healthcare of their clients.
The Provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) is a model of organized care created by Act 775 of 2017 to manage the services of individuals with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs. To form each PASSE, local Arkansas providers entered into partnerships and chose an experienced organization to perform administrative functions, such as claims processing. . These groups function similar to insurance companies.
PASSEs are a Medicaid provider type approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). They are regulated by the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) and held accountable to the Department of Human Services (DHS) under federal managed care rules.
For more information about the PASSE program, visit http://passe.arkansas.gov.
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