The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) released a request for proposals (RFP) for its Comprehensive Health Care Program (CHCP) contract for the state’s Medicaid health plans on Monday.
The CHCP covers approximately 2.2 million Michiganders receiving coverage through Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan, and is worth $15 billion.
“Through this rebid process, MDHHS will select Medicaid health plan contractors with the experiences, capabilities, and commitment to deliver an equitable, coordinated and person-centered system of care that will ultimately provide Michigan residents with a healthier future,” MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said in a statement.
The rebid is part of MIHealthyLife, an initiative MDHHS launched in 2022 to strengthen Medicaid services through new Medicaid health plan contracts. MDHHS received input from nearly 10,000 enrollees, family members, healthcare providers, and health plans in an effort to strengthen Medicaid managed care contracts then.
In an effort to create a more coordinated and equitable system of care, MDHHS designed the RFP to focus on five strategic pillars based on stakeholder feedback it received, which include:
- Serve the whole person, coordinating health and health-related needs
- Give all kids a healthy start
- Promote health equity and reduce racial and ethnic disparities
- Drive innovation and operational excellence
- Engage members, families, and communities
The RFP includes the following changes to MIHealthyLife:
- Prioritizing health equity by requiring Medicaid health plans to achieve National Committee for Quality Assurance health equity accreditation
- Addressing social determinants of health through investment in and engagement with community-based organizations
- Increasing childhood immunization rates, including increasing provider participation in the Vaccines for Children program
- Adopting a more person-centered approach to mental health coverage
- Ensuring access to healthcare providers by strengthening network requirements
- Increasing Medicaid health plan accountability and clarifying expectations to advance state priorities
Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) serve 10 regions, and MCOs will bid on one or more regions. Each region requires at least two plans except Region One, a rural area that includes the state’s Upper Peninsula, where members are enrolled in a single plan.
RFP proposals are due on Jan. 16th, 2024, and implementation is anticipated to begin on Oct. 1st, 2024. Contracts will run through Sept. 30th, 2029, with three one-year optional periods.
Michigan currently has nine plans (CVS/Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Centene/Meridian, HAP Midwest Health Plan, McLaren Health Plan, Molina, Priority Health Choice, UnitedHealthcare, and Upper Peninsula Health Plan).