HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-23-1993 - VII-B 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD- OF COMMISSIONERS
Action Agenda
Item No. \/jam j3
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 23 , 1993
SUBJECT: Carolina ACCESS
DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING YES: NO: X
ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marti Pryor-Cook, ext. 2802
1. Program Brochures
TELEPHONE NUMBER-
Hillsborough - 732-8181
Chapel Hill - 968-4501
Mebane - 227-2031
Durham - 688-7331
PURPOSE:
To consider implementing the Carolina ACCESS program for Medicaid
recipients in Orange County.
BACKGROUND:
Carolina ACCESS is a managed care program of the North Carolina
Division of Medical Assistance. The program's objectives are to
improve access to primary care services for Medicaid recipients,
to reduce any unnecessary or inappropriate use of medical services,
and to contain overall costs.
Medicaid recipients enrolled in the program are assigned a
participating physician who provides primary care services and
recommends and coordinates all patient referrals to other physicians.
Patients are restricted from seeking services at emergency rooms for
non emergency care or from specialists and other primary care
physicians without a referral from their Carolina ACCESS provider.
Orange County currently has over 4000 medicaid recipients. It is
anticipated that 70-75% will be eligible to participate in Carolina
ACCESS. Excluded will be those individuals who are in mental
hospitals, skilled and intermediate care facilities, domiciliary care
facilities, personal care homes, foster care/subsidized adoption
arrangements, and refugees. •
2
For over a year, staff members from Carolina ACCESS and the
Department of Social Services have been assessing the feasibility
of introducing the program in Orange County. Meetings have been
held with various physicians who now serve medicaid recipients,
the Orange County Board of Health, Orange Chatham Comprehensive
Health Care Clinic, and the Social Services Board. Contact has
also been made with counties currently administering the program.
The response has been positive and supportive of implementing the
program in Orange County.
Local administration of the program will be provided by the
Department of Social Services. Staff required to coordinate services
is a Carolina ACCESS Plan Representative (Caseworker III) . Carolina
ACCESS provides $12,000 of the non-federal share for this position,
leaving an annual cost to the county of $2,500. Other costs
associated with the position such as office equipment and clerical
assistance will be shared at the regular 50/50 local and federal match
rate for public assistance administration.
RECOMMENDATION(S) :
Approve implementation of Carolina ACCESS in Orange County.