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Elizabeth M. Whitehorn, Director

Provider Notice Issued 03/06/2020

  
                                                                                                

                                                                                          

Date:  January 16, 2020

 

To:     All Medical Assistance Program Providers

 

Re:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dear Child Welfare Medicaid Managed Care Implementation Advisory Workgroup Members:

 

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department of Children and Family Services are committed to ensuring our vulnerable children and families receive quality health care. When it is fully implemented HFS, YouthCare will provide this level of care, with crucial services that do not exist today and new coordination that will ensure behavioral and physical health needs can be met.

 

Over the past several weeks and months, we have been engaged in productive conversations with you and stakeholders across the state to address your questions and hear your feedback about implementing the program. The ACLU in particular has been a strong partner in this work, both in identifying questions and working toward solutions.

 

Following weeks of collaboration between our agencies and the ACLU, we have reached an agreement that will extend the start date for youth in care to begin this program from February 1 to April 1. This extension will help us create a smoother transition for youth in care and provide additional time to ensure that outstanding questions can be appropriately addressed.

 

Children and young adults eligible for YouthCare who are no long under the guardianship of DCFS will be transitioned to a managed care program on February 1 as planned.

 

Over the past several months, we have made significant progress building out the YouthCare network, and to date have partnered with providers who make up 90 percent of existing spending in the Medicaid program. With more providers joining regularly, HFS is confident that we will have a network that provides youth in care with more options than ever before.

 

In addition, through this program, YouthCare is providing specially trained Care Coordinators, who will work with DCFS caseworkers and foster and adoptive families to create an effective Individual Plan of Care (IPOC) for all youth in care. YouthCare has already hired more than 200 Care Coordinators and operations staff to manage the transition smoothly and effectively. Since September 1, the program has also been developing assessments and care planning with youth in care and their families in advance of the full transition.

 

As we move ahead, we look forward to continuing to work closely with all of you to ensure a smooth transition and a managed care program that provides children and families the care they deserve. Thank you for your continued commitment, time and insight.

 

Respectfully,