CHICAGO, June 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aetna®,
a CVS Health® company (NYSE: CVS), announced it has
received approval to expand its existing Illinois Medicare-Medicaid
Alignment Initiative (MMAI) demonstration health plan
(Aetna Better Health® Premier Plan MMAI) to serve
the entire state.
The MMAI is a groundbreaking joint effort by the Illinois
Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reform the way care is
delivered to individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid
services ("dual eligibles"). The MMAI demonstration project began
providing coordinated care to dual eligible enrollees in the
Chicagoland area and Central
Illinois beginning March
2014.
The statewide expansion is the result of extensive
planning initiated in 2019 by HFS in collaboration with CMS, health
plans and community stakeholders. The MMAI integrated delivery
system and payment model aims to improve the quality, coordination
and cost-effectiveness of care for dual eligibles. Aetna's approval
to operate statewide comes after the company passed a readiness
review and secured contracts with a robust network of providers to
meet the Medicare and Medicaid service needs of dual eligible
members. At this time, Aetna is the only health plan approved to
operate the MMAI program across all Illinois counties.
"Aetna Better Health Premier Plan MMAI is committed to
supporting additional dual eligible customers across the state of
Illinois through our MMAI product
offering," said Corey Taliaferro,
Executive Director for the plan. "We consistently receive positive
feedback from our dual eligible members who enjoy the convenience
of having all of their Medicare and Medicaid benefits in one plan.
They tell us having a designated care coordinator goes a long way
in helping them to successfully meet their individual health care
needs and goals."
Customers eligible to enroll in MMAI in the expansion counties
may opt-in beginning in June 2021.
They can make an active selection for a July
1, 2021 effective date. The MMAI passive
enrollment1 implementation for the statewide expansion
will occur in phases for multiple cohorts. Enrollment materials for
the first passive enrollment cohort will be mailed in June 2021 with a September
1, 2021 effective date. For more information, see MMAI
Provider Notice.
Aetna was originally selected via a competitive procurement and
has served as an MMAI health plan in Cook, DuPage,
Kane, Kankakee and Will counties since the program's inception.
Aetna provides the full spectrum of Medicare and Medicaid covered
services through an integrated care delivery system to seniors and
adults (aged 21 and over) with disabilities who are eligible for
both Medicare and Medicaid. Aetna welcomes current eligible
Medicare Advantage and HealthChoice Medicaid members residing in
expansion counties into the MMAI program where they can receive all
covered services in one integrated health plan with care
coordination. For more information, see Aetna Better Health Premier
Plan MMAI.
1Passive enrollment means that if a
customer does not choose a health plan, the customer will be auto
assigned to a health plan.
###
About Aetna
Aetna, a CVS Health business,
serves an estimated 34 million people with information and
resources to help them make better informed decisions about their
health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary
and consumer-directed health insurance products and related
services, including medical, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health
plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care
management services, workers' compensation administrative services
and health information technology products and services. Aetna's
customers include employer groups, individuals, college students,
part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers,
governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and
expatriates. For more information, visit www.aetna.com.
Aetna Better Health Premier Plan MMAI is a health plan that
contracts with both Medicare and Illinois Medicaid to provide
benefits of both programs to enrollees.
Aetna Medicare operates a Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP) under a
three-way contract with Aetna Better Health of Illinois, Illinois Department of Healthcare
and Family Services (HFS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS). Aetna Medicare has expertise serving members
who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid in 24 states.
Enrollment in our plans depends on contract
renewal. Participating physicians, hospitals and other health
care providers are independent contractors and are neither agents
nor employees of Aetna. The availability of any particular provider
cannot be guaranteed, and provider network composition is subject
to change.
©2021 Aetna Inc.
H2506_21SAE PR
Media contact
Charlie
Rice-Minoso
224-213-1135
Rice-MinosoC@cvshealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health