APS Healthcare, one of the country’s leading specialty healthcare companies, announced today that it has been selected by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) to operate the Georgia Medicaid Management Program (GAMMP). The program will provide a full range of care management and informatics services statewide to about 200,000 Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, HIV, mental illness and sickle cell anemia.
This contract represents a significant expansion of APS’ relationship with Georgia, where APS has been providing care management services to Medicaid beneficiaries through the state’s Georgia Enhanced Care Program since 2005, and other programming since 1999. This GAMMP initiative is one of the largest programs ever awarded for care and disease management in the United States.
To enhance engagement and medical homes for Georgia Medicaid beneficiaries, APS will expand its community-based integration model, placing health coaches, nurse care managers and lay health workers in provider locations throughout the state. Community providers and beneficiaries will be supported with access to a secure, state-of-the-art Internet-based electronic health records system, APS CareConnection®.
APS has partnered with the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine for a variety of services and with Emory University to develop an innovative fall-prevention program for elderly participants that includes community-based assessments to minimize the risks of falling.
Medicaid members enrolled in this new program will receive a broad array of care coordination services, a 24/7 nurse advice line, educational services and member/provider analysis using utilization and claims data. Based on medical need, members will have access to specialized care management services, which includes case and disease management. The program has rigorous clinical and efficiency enhancement components.
“We are looking forward to expanding our relationship with DCH and the Georgia community to assist Medicaid members in achieving better health outcomes and greater system coordination,” said David Hunsaker, president, APS’ Public Programs division. “By expanding case and disease management services to reach more of the state’s Medicaid population, we will help the state better manage its overall healthcare resources.”
The new program will begin on April 1, 2007, and will be administered out of APS’ Atlanta service center.
APS Public Programs, a division of APS Healthcare, is one of the country’s leaders in providing services to Medicaid programs and currently serves clients representing more than 40 percent of the nation’s Medicaid population. In addition to population management programs, APS provides Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-designated quality improvement organization (QIO) services, external quality review organization (EQRO) services, behavioral health and other community-based government programs in more than 20 states.
About APS
APS Healthcare, headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., is a leading provider of specialty healthcare solutions that cover more than 20 million members in the United States. APS offers customized, integrated healthcare solutions across two major healthcare product lines — care management and behavioral health services. APS operates under the belief that managing healthcare for the mind and body improves overall health and reduces total healthcare spending. For more information, visit www.apshealthcare.com.
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