April 1 will mark the culmination of continued Medicaid coverage, and over 2.4 million Arizona residents will undergo the Medicaid reassessment process for the first time since March 2020, and are leveraging social media to raise awareness of the reassessment process.
Monica Coury, vice president of legislative and governmental affairs at Arizona Complete Health, shared her approach with State of Reform.
“There are several ways that Arizona Complete Health has reached out to members to raise awareness that the revisions are resuming,” Coury said. “We have been reaching out to members directly via phone, particularly for those who may be dealing with chronic or complex medical conditions.”
Coury discussed how Arizona Complete Health uses automated calls, emails, text messages, and social media posts in addition to information on its website. The provider network is actively involved in helping members prepare for entitlement renewal.
On social media, the health plan has posted information about the reassessment process and the risk of losing coverage in both English and Spanish. Posts provide information on what to do if you receive a letter from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) enforcing eligibility rules asking for information about healthcare renewals.
Debido a la ley Federal, el 1 de April comenzará el proceso regular de renovación de afilados de Medicaid. More information: https://t.co/Ryv8JEz99c pic.twitter.com/epAj8fcEAv
— AzCH Complete Care Plan (@AzCHCCP) March 4, 2023
Arizona Complete Health has consistently featured the 2-1-1 hotline on social media for assistance in finding appropriate and affordable health insurance.
“We are working together to send lists of our members who are at risk of losing coverage, either to primary care or behavioral health providers who see members for regular care, or to a specialty provider who sees members with chronic conditions ‘ Coury said.
Coury also explained how the health plan has worked with numerous non-profit organizations, religious groups and schools to hold community events where individuals can receive assistance in updating their personal information within the AHCCCS system.
“We have staff who have been trained on the state’s Health-e-Arizona Plus online portal so anyone who needs to update their address or other information, or needs help responding to a state notice, can get the help they need,” Coury added .
The Arizona House Health and Welfare Committee approved a bill in February shorten the Medicaid redefinition process by three months (for a nine-month period) due to the continuous coverage requirement, which costs about $5 million per month for the 600,000 people estimated to be ineligible. If the bill becomes law, it would speed up the redefinition process, which may impact individuals with complex needs who may need to transfer providers and care.
