NEWS RELEASE
Albert
Hawkins
Executive Commissioner
Date: Jan. 13, 2006
Contact:
Stephanie Goodman, (512) 424-6951
New Call Center for State Benefits To Be
Located in Athens
AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) today announced that Athens will be home to one of four new call centers that will make it easier for Texans to apply for Medicaid, food stamps and other state programs.
“Soon Texans will be able to choose how they want to apply for services – by phone, in person, through the mail or over the Internet,” Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins said. “This Athens facility will play an important role in our effort to build a state system designed around the consumer, that operates more efficiently and takes advantage of the latest technology.”
Last year, HHSC announced that the other three call centers would be located in Austin, Midland and San Antonio. The Austin and Midland call centers opened in November and are handling Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) applications and helping consumers enroll in Medicaid managed care plans. The San Antonio center is scheduled to open in April. The Athens facility, which will be located at the former K-Mart building on West Corsicana Street, will open over the summer.
The new state system will allow Texans to apply for services – including Medicaid, food stamps, CHIP, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and long-term care – in person at more than 200 offices, through the Internet, over the phone and by fax or mail. The call centers will provide live assistance from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and consumers will be able to track their applications through an automated phone system. The number for assistance will be 2-1-1.
In addition to about 200 private-sector employees, the Athens call center will include 44 state employees who will determine whether applicants are eligible for services and will be responsible for quality control.
Last year, HHSC signed a contract with the Texas Access Alliance to operate the four call centers. The state estimates that moving to the new system will save $646 million over the next five years.
Additional information about the new eligibility system is posted at www.hhs.state.tx.us
### |
