Key payers under the 1115 Waiver (click to enlarge)
Community Partners under the 1115 Waiver (click to enlarge)
Big news today for community-based providers of behavioral health, substance use disorder and I/DD services in Massachusetts: The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved MA's long-awaited 1115 Medicaid waiver, which will transform the Commonwealth's "MassHealth" system through new Accountable Care Organizations, BH/LTSS Community Partner entities, and Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) funds.
The specific reforms proposed are complex, but the implementation is scheduled to proceed rapidly: much of the new system is planned to be in place by the end of 2017.
Key dates under the waiver include:
- September 2016: ACO RFR
- November 2016: MCO RFR
- December 2016: ACO Pilot Launch
- February 2017: CP RFR
- April 2017: ACO Selections
- June 2017: MCO Selections
- July 2017: CP Selections
- Summer 2017: DSRP Phased Launch
- July-December 2017: ACO/MCO Contracting
For more information on the 1115 Waiver process, contact eHana today.
Massachusetts State House image courtesy of Colin M.L. Burnett