For
years, members, families and advocates requesting assistance from Medicaid
and PeachCare for KidsŪ have been asking the state for an easy-to-find
single point of entry eligibility and application system. On June 1, 2012,
that request came one step closer to reality when the Georgia Department of
Community Health (DCH) learned that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) approved its proposal for the implementation of Georgia's new
eligibility determination system.
"I am very excited that after nine months of hard work, diligent
communication with CMS and tireless collaboration with our sister agencies
-- the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Behavioral
Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and Department of Public
Health (DPH) -- that we have been given the go-ahead to proceed with
procuring our project to vendors," said Brad Cohen, eligibility project
manager. "When the implementation planning document came back from CMS
approved 30 days early with no major revisions, it was a tribute to the 50
interagency staff people who have spent so much time working on the plan."
The new eligibility system will use income methodologies that include
electronic verifications and validations as required by the Affordable Care
Act (ACA).
In addition to Medicaid enrollees, people seeking determination for
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) and other state-administered assistance programs,
such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and
Children (WIC), Child Care and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), will be able to use the same point of entry.
For individuals wishing to become Medicaid members, the system will include
improved customer service, more real-time connections and possibly same-day
eligibility determination using enhanced electronic verification and
validation processes. When notifications are sent to members, they will be
easier to comprehend. In addition, eligibility workers will be able to work
within a paperless system, reducing the amount of duplicate requests for
paper documents.
The Design, Development and Implementation (DDI) phase began July 1 with
state-based activities. Five pre-qualified vendors received the Request for
Proposal (RFP) on June 6. Proposals were due July 20, 2012, with a projected
notification of intent to award on August 24, 2012.
-Story by Iris McIlvaine, DCH public relations manager
