Stakeholder Engagement and Interagency Coordination

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

On April 1, 2014, San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) entered into a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) and Molina Healthcare of California to provide In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) as a managed care benefit for dual eligible beneficiaries under California’s Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI). ‘Dual eligibles’ are the state’s low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid (known in California as Medi-Cal). As part of CCI implementation, DAAS engaged in collaboration with the two local health plans (IEHP and Molina), a neighboring county and other agencies to participate in care coordination and case management services for dual eligibles, discuss implementation logistics, and ensure beneficiaries receive consistent information across service settings. DAAS created a CCI Unit consisting of DAAS Social Workers (SWs) who would become subject-matter experts in care coordination and track CCI activities in San Bernardino County. Current findings confirm that the county’s strong partnership and effective collaboration with health plans and other stakeholders are strengthening efforts to coordinate care for dual eligibles.