MCLEAN, Va., June 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acentra Health, a technology solutions and clinical services company dedicated to helping government healthcare agencies accelerate better health outcomes, today announced it was awarded a contract from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to implement a division of the state’s 1115 Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) waiver demonstration for its Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) members. Oregon’s multi-phase HRSN demonstration, which began on March 1, is the first in the nation to introduce Medicaid funding for interventions that address social needs related to housing, nutrition, and climate change to improve health outcomes and lower program costs.
Under the terms of the contract, Acentra Health oversees the care coordination of qualifying HRSN-related interventions for up to 120,000 Medicaid FFS members annually. Its care coordinators and social workers conduct outreach and engagement to assess members’ eligibility for participation. In addition, Acentra Health oversees the purchase and distribution of HRSN equipment covered by the waiver and conducts member follow-up assessments. The company will collect and analyze longitudinal data to help OHA evaluate the demonstration’s impact on health outcomes and program costs.
“The Oregon Health Authority has long been a strong advocate for seeking new approaches to support the health and well-being of its most vulnerable residents,” said Todd Stottlemyer, Acentra Health CEO. “Their groundbreaking HRSN waiver demonstration aims to go beyond traditional social determinants of health (SDOH) factors to address individualized health needs. We are grateful to continue our 14-year partnership with OHA and help them lead the way in finding new opportunities to improve health outcomes.”
In March, Acentra Health and OHA implemented the first phase of the program, which addresses social needs related to climate change. Qualifying members may receive devices intended to keep them safe during a climate-related emergency. Available devices include air conditioners, heaters, air filtration devices, miniature refrigerators to hold insulin or other medications, and back-up generators. To be eligible, Oregon residents must be part of an HRSN-covered population as defined in the current 1115 waiver, have both a clinical risk factor and social needs risk factor, and be covered under Medicaid FFS.
“Health-related social needs services provide Oregon Health Plan members foundational support during a time of transition,” said Holly Heiberg, Medicaid Policy Director at OHA. “Acentra Health will be integral in helping Oregon build these new benefits for our fee-for-service members.”
Acentra Health and OHA will implement two additional phases of the HRSN Medicaid waiver. Phase two is scheduled for November 2024 and will address housing support services for members at risk of becoming homeless. Phase three is scheduled for January 2025 and will address diet and nutrition support services. The five-year demonstration runs through September 2027.
The new contract builds on Acentra Health’s existing body of work in the state supporting care coordination, high-risk case management, and utilization management services. As part of that work, Acentra Health has routinely screened members for SDOH factors to help link them with supportive resources.
About Acentra Health
Acentra Health combines public sector knowledge, clinical expertise, and technological ingenuity to modernize the healthcare experience for state and federal partners and their priority populations. From designing and developing advanced claims, encounter, and provider solutions that drive efficiency and cost savings to delivering clinically focused service models for care management and quality oversight, Acentra Health is accelerating better health outcomes. Acentra Health is backed by Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG), a global investment firm. Learn more at acentra.com.
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