The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) through their Health Services and Medical Management Division released an RFP on September 28, 2009 seeking pilot primary care clinic models to deliver care focusing on care coordination involving patients and families.
The DHS will award grants to support Pilot Projects for children and adults with complex healthcare needs who are enrolled in the fee-for-service Medical Assistance program and eligible for care coordination services based on the individual’s health status and their need for care coordination. The funding available is approximately $750,000 with the proposals due November 16, 2009.
The State is looking to improve the quality of care, generate knowledge on how to better sustain primary care, transform the current system of healthcare, create a more cost-effective healthcare system, and/or facilitate medical homes. The goal is to identify factors associated with standards as pertains to Health Care Home standards along with costs, utilization, quality, and satisfaction parameters.
Approximately 483,000 Minnesotans receive healthcare coverage through Minnesota’s Medicaid program. The program called Medical Assistance is the largest of the state’s healthcare programs and provides the necessary medical services for low-income families, children, pregnant women, and people 65 or older, and people with disabilities.
Each grantee will need to have the capacity to deliver coordinated primary care and be able to describe how they will provide access and communication to individuals seeking care. The project requires a registry to be used to track participants care, track care coordination, track care planning, and requires reports on performance and quality improvement.
The services contracted as a result of the RFP needs to be done in Minnesota. Priority will be given to projects that focus on high-risk high-opportunity children and/or adults with excessive non-urgent ED visits, avoidable hospitalizations, and readmissions.
Projects may focus on the development of care coordination capacity for a particular clinic or organization or may focus on broader strategies to develop care coordination capacity in healthcare homes at a regional or statewide level.
Qualified responders include collaborative and organizations that support multiple clinics. Also providers and clinics that are interested in practice transformation and certifications as a health care home are invited to apply.
For more information, go to www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/groups/business_partners/documents/pub/dhs16_146280.pdf. Or email Muree Larson-Bright PhD at muree.larson-bright@state.mn.us or call (651) 431-2635.
