NEWS RELEASE
Albert
Hawkins
Executive Commissioner
Date: March 16, 2009
Contact: Stephanie Goodman, 512-424-6951
HHSC, Evercare Agree to Early End of ICM Contract
AUSTIN ― The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Evercare have agreed to end a contract for the Integrated Care Management (ICM) program, which provides Medicaid services to 74,000 people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
ICM was created during the 79th legislative session to provide Medicaid services and improve the coordination of care for people age 65 or older and for those have disabilities in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties.
“This program has not been able to deliver the level of service that our clients deserve,” said Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins. “Our first priority is to improve services as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is to move clients into other proven Medicaid programs as fast as we can without disrupting their care.”
Evercare began providing ICM services in February 2008, and the original contract ran through Aug. 31, 2010. Under the agreement HHSC will end the contract on May 31, 2009, and people now covered by ICM will begin receiving services through other existing Medicaid programs on June 1.
Hawkins said HHSC will seek guidance from the 81st Texas Legislature before deciding whether to pursue another ICM contract or implement a different Medicaid program in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
### |
