People with disabilities under age 65 who have Medical Assistance (MA) fee-for-service coverage will be asked to enroll in a Special Needs BasicCare (SNBC) health plan for their health care. Some people may be excluded. Anyone can choose not to enroll and to stay in fee-for-service. This expansion of the SNBC program was mandated by the 2011 Minnesota Legislature (256B.69, subd, 28).
The following explain the process in more detail:
DHS has compiled statistics on remaining potential enrollees as of October 2012 (PDF) to aid in ongoing enrollment efforts.
DHS staff is working closely with stakeholders and counties to ensure a smooth transition for those joining health plans. Several Public Meetings are being held to share information and get input. Interested parties can sign up to receive e-mail notices of key upcoming meetings.
Gretchen Ulbee, Manager, Special Needs Purchasing
Deb Maruska, Coordinator, Disability Managed Care Programs
Susan Kennedy, Coordinator, Special Needs BasicCare
Enrollment of fee-for-service Medical Assistance (MA) clients into SNBC health plans occurred in phases during the 2012 expansion as described below. Anyone can choose not to enroll and stay in MA fee-for-service. Information and an opt-out form (DHS-6451) (PDF) was mailed to those affected 40 to 60 days prior to enrollment.
The first phase was in counties where either Medica, PrimeWest Health or South Country Health Alliance (SCHA) is the only SNBC health plan option. Information was mailed in mid-November to approximately 8,700 adults who:
This phase was in counties where UCare is the only SNBC health plan option. Information was mailed in early December to approximately 6,300 adults who:
This phase included 78 counties and people who receive waiver services. In January 2012, information was mailed to approximately 20,600 adults who:
Update: The group of 41,000 adults scheduled to be enrolled for coverage starting April 1 were enrolled over the course of three months (May 1, June 1 and July 1). This ensured that potential enrollees had time to ask questions and understand their options, and that county and state staff had time to process enrollments and opt-outs. The revised schedule is below.
This phase included 13,900 adults in Hennepin County who are not enrolled in a home and community-based waiver program. Information was mailed to them in March.
This phase included 13,200 adults in Ramsey and St. Louis counties who are not enrolled in home and community-based waiver programs. Information was mailed to them in April.
This phase included 11, 900 adults who are not enrolled in a home and community-based waiver program, and live in one of these counties: Anoka, Benton, Carlton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Isanti, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Washington, Wadena or Wright. Information was mailed to this group in May.
Approximately 1,900 adults who live in Cook, Itasca, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, Roseau and Swift (the nine counties where SNBC contracts need to be negotiated with the health plans) were scheduled to be enrolled for coverage beginning July 1. SNBC did not expand into these counties so these individuals were not enrolled. This is because DHS did not receive any responses to a spring 2012 request for proposals to provide SNBC in the nine counties listed.
Approximately 11,000 children statewide were to be enrolled in SNBC for coverage beginning July 1, 2012. Enrollment of children is delayed. This information will be updated when available.
