Community Care Alliance Of Illinois Launches New Health Care Network For Medicaid Recipients In Chicago

Groundbreaking model will provide comprehensive, person-centered health care for people with disabilities and seniors.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) - The Community Care Alliance of Illinois (CCAI) today announced its entry into the Chicago area to provide comprehensive health care and wellness services to people with disabilities and seniors covered by Medicaid. CCAI is a nonprofit Managed Care Community Network. Voluntary enrollment for seniors and persons with disabilities under Medicaid began in February.

CCAI was one of seven health plans approved by the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services (HFS) to provide integrated care for people with disabilities covered by Medicaid. Under the Integrated Care Plan (ICP), the state of Illinois has set a goal to have 50 percent of all Medicaid recipients enrolled in care coordination by 2015, as required by law. CCAI is the only nonprofit managed care organization participating in the Integrated Care Program. CCAI assumes the risk in providing quality health outcomes. CCAI has also been approved as a Medicare Advantage plan.

“The Community Care Alliance of Illinois is thrilled to announce our entry into the Chicago market. We are excited about providing a new level of consumer-responsive care to people with disabilities and seniors in Chicago,” said CCAI President Greg Alexander.

CCAI launched its health plan in the Rockford area in June and today covers 1,500 Enrollees there. The CCAI provider network has 39 hospitals, 1,200 Primary care physicians and 4,500 specialists in Chicago.

The CCAI Model of Care uses a system of Anchor Health Homes to provide wrap-around care, coordination and support for Enrollees. CCAI employs a provider office accessibility check list to ensure all network sites are fully accessible for people with disabilities, and training to ensure providers have the competency needed to treat and relate to them. CCAI Anchor Health Homes in Chicago include: 

• Mt. Sinai Hospital
• Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital
• Swedish Covenant Hospital
• Aviva Women’s Health
• Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
• St. Bernard Hospital and Health Center
• PrimeCare Community Health
• Lawndale Christian Health Center

Achieving positive health outcomes and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities requires attention to the entire spectrum of need. The CCAI Model of Care encompasses six domains of care and support, including long-term care: 

• Medical
• Functional (e.g. mobility, activities of daily living, memory, problem solving)
• Environmental (housing, community, transportation)
• Financial (basic and medical needs)
• Social Support (Friends, family, social groups)
• Psychological (Stress management, mental illness)

CCAI employs disability-competent interdisciplinary-care teams to manage each Enrollee’s care, including a primary-care physician and nurse practitioner, a registered nurse care coordinator available 24/7, a long-term services and supports coordinator, medical specialists and rehabilitation services. CCAI also engages Peer Navigators, people with disabilities themselves who understand the challenges faced by their peers and can offer solutions that help achieve greater independence and quality of life.

A new CCAI video about the model of care, Making Person-Centered Care a Reality can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ6Rq8N3xK4

CCAI has served 1,500 Enrollees in the Rockford area since July 2013. CCAI offices are located at its Anchor Health Home at Rockford Health System. The on-site interdisciplinary team includes a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Care Coordinator, Nurse Practitioner, and a Long-term Services and Supports Coordinator.

“Being an Anchor Health Home in the CCAI network enhances our mission of Superior Care. Every Day. For All Our Patients," said Michele Lippert, Rockford Health Physicians Chief Operating Officer. “We are excited about bringing a new level of care to people with disabilities and seniors on Medicaid in the Rockford area.”

Community Care Alliance of Illinois was formed by a group of concerned parties committed to improving the way health care is managed and provided to people with disabilities, including Access Living, an Independent Living Center for people with disabilities, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Schwab Rehabilitation Center, the Health and Policy Research Group, and the Family Health Network, which has provided managed care for enrollees in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for 18 years.

Family Health Network (FHN), founded in 1995 to bring quality health insurance to those who need it the most, is the parent company of CCAI. FHN has been the only not-for-profit managed care community network serving Chicago and Cook County, and is directed by local health care providers. Through years of steady growth, FHN has become a leader in government-sponsored (Medicaid) managed care programs, serving members with excellent providers and hospitals, including psychiatric and children's facilities. FHN has remained successful while other provider sponsored and for-profit plans have come and gone.

“We think we have proven the effectiveness of the not-for-profit, community network and provider- governed model for achieving better health-care results and life quality for beneficiaries. CCAI is the next step for better care and support for people with disabilities,” said FHN CEO Keith Kudla.

Consumer control is a central part of the CCAI model. Two representatives with disabilities serve on the board of directors, and CCAI has formed a groundbreaking Disability Community Stakeholders Forum in addition to the state-required consumer advisory council. Both are part of the ongoing planning and implementation of services.