The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services has launched a new service that answers questions about KanCare, the state Medicaid program, as well as questions about long-term care.
Shawn Sullivan, secretary for the state agency, reminds KanCare participants that Thursday, April 4, is the deadline for changing their Managed Care Organization (MCO) health plan. KanCare participants who wish to stay with their current MCO do not need to take any action. Those wishing to change to a different plan before the deadline may call 866-305-5147 for assistance.
This opportunity is open for participants who were enrolled in the program as of January 1. The next opportunity to change an MCO health plan will be at the end of this year, when the next open enrollment period begins.
Each of the state’s 380,000 Medicaid recipients was assigned to one of three KanCare MCOs: Amerigroup, Sunflower or United Healthcare. The website http://www.kancare.ks.gov/choosing_a_plan.htm provides information on the three plans, said Dave Geist, director of the Southwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging, based in Dodge City.
Some KanCare recipients will choose a plan that their primary care physician is signed up with, Geist said, or look for which plan gives the best access to treatment for a particular medical condition. “If you’re not having any issues, you might look at value-added services,” he said.
For those who need face-to-face assistance, the 11 regional Area Agencies on Aging now serve as an information network called the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Counselors can explain the KanCare options, as well as information about access to long-term services and supports, whether a person is a KanCare client or not.
“ADRCs are empowering older adults and the disabled to make informed choices about their services and supports,” Sullivan said. “They streamline access and ensure that each individual’s needs are being met. The ADRC can refer individuals to an array of in-home, community-based and nursing home services, as well as provide decision-making support.”
“The ADRC one-stop shops allow older adults, people with disabilities, their caregivers and families, to get information and services they need as their health and long-term care needs change,” Geist said. “The ADRCs are only one phone call away.”
For more information call the statewide call center at 1-855-200-ADRC (2372).