The Three-Star Healthcare Taskforce Pilot Program for Tennessee
The Three-Star Healthcare Taskforce released an outline of a Medicaid expansion plan today. The process has taken far too long and has been costly for the state of Tennessee, but finally our state may have an insurance proposal that could close the coverage gap.
The Taskforce was created by Speaker Beth Harwell to address the Legislature overlooking the issue of Medicaid Expansion in the state of Tennessee. The Three-Star Healthcare Taskforce has been hearing from the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services about the proposal.
The proposal is called a “Pilot” program and may be adopted as soon as April of next year. The first phase of the plan would be to cover about 140,000 people in Tennessee without insurance by diagnosis, and expand the program if it meets goals set for the first six months. The proposal includes employment and job training services for enrollees.
Phase two would be rolled out in January of 2018 at the earliest. The second phase will close the coverage gap and be paid for by the federal government through the Affordable Care Act and the Tennessee Hospital Association will pick-up the balance.
Employment and Community First Program offers options to institutions
June 30
Starting this Friday, individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities not currently receiving Medicaid waiver services can apply for the new Employment and Community First program.
The new Employment and Community First program is an effort to serve more people and expand options in long-term services and supports with TennCare.
The ECF program opens for applications this Friday, July 1, 2016. Referrals for enrollment cannot be accepted before Friday. However, starting Friday, you can fill out a "self-referral online form" on the TennCare homepage to apply for the program. The form will be posted and available at:
https://tcreq.tn.gov/tmtrack/ecf/index.htm
You may apply by completing the self-referral form at the link above; but if you need help or have questions you can call the agencies listed below. Applicants who have Medicaid but are not sure who the MCO is may call the Tennessee Health Connection line 1-855-259-0701.
Applicants who already have Medicaid and are enrolled with Amerigroup or BlueCare should contact their Managed Care Organization with questions or if you need assistance completing the self-referral form. You can find the information about how to call your MCO on your insurance card.
Applicants who already have Medicaid and are enrolled with United HealthCare Community Plan should contact Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Regional Intake Offices with questions or if you need assistance completing the self-referral form.
Applicants who do not have Medicaid should contact Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Regional Intake Offices with questions or for assistance completing the self-referral form for both ECF CHOICES and applying for Medicaid. The DIDD contact information is below:
DIDD Regional Intake Office Contact information:
West Tennessee Regional Office Office of Intake (866) 372-5709
Middle Tennessee Regional Office Office of Intake (800) 654-4839
East Tennessee Regional Office Office of Intake (888) 531-9876
If you are currently on the waiting list for home- and community-based services (HCBS) through the Medicaid waiver you should receive a letter about the new program the first week it begins. The letter should tell you to use the self-referral form on the TennCare website, starting July 1. Based on the information DIDD currently has about you they may automatically refer you to the ECF CHOICES program in an active or deferred category.
MPO Accessible Bus Stop Survey ends Thursday
The Metropolitan Planning Organization was at MCIL last week to ask about accessible bus stops. We gave them some suggestions from our experience and what we have heard from bus riders with disabilities.
Tell MATA what you think is important for future bus stops! Take the following survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MemphisBusStopSurvey
The survey only takes a couple of minutes and will close on July 31, 2016.
Verify your voter information to make sure your vote counts
By Tim Wheat
Over half a million people are registered to vote in Shelby County; are you? The best way to make sure your vote counts is to check your voter registration now. You can check the registration on line with the State of Tennessee or with Shelby County if you live in Memphis.
Tennessee Election information: http://sos.tn.gov/elections/voter-information
Shelby County Election information: http://www.shelbyvote.com/
If you are listed as "inactive" or not registered at your current address, you can easily update your voter information. The process starts with a simple check to make sure you are a registered voter.
