NYAPRS Note: Medicaid health plans in New York will be authorized to financially incentivize health home enrollees for efforts to improve their health and self-care….more good news on the heels of yesterday’s announcement that enrollees of specialized Health and Recovery Plans will be able to more easily access recovery focused Home and Community Based Services.
Budget proposal would allow for incentive payments to health home enrollees
By Dan Goldberg Politico January 24, 2018
Medicaid managed care plans would be allowed to offer incentive payments to health home enrollees under a proposal in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget.
The payments would be for participating in wellness activities, as well as for avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary trips to the emergency room.
Leslie Moran, senior vice president for the New York Health Plan Association, which represents insurance companies, said the proposal seemed interesting and insurers would like to work with the administration to build off existing models because plans already have many programs that promote a healthy lifestyle.
The budget does not allocate any money for this program but the Cuomo administration does expect the proposal to produce long-term savings.
“This program increases the ability of health plans to track member utilization and improve access to primary care by redirecting unnecessary emergency visits,” said Erin Silk, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health.