By OPEN MINDS Circle
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), which oversees the state Medicaid program, awarded Regional Accountable Entity (RAE) contracts for the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC) to the program’s four incumbents. The contracts went to incumbents Rocky Mountain Health Plans (Region 1), Northeast Health Partners (Region 2), Colorado Community Health Alliance (Region 3), and Colorado Access (Region 4). The RAEs will manage Medicaid physical health and mental health services.
HCPF released the request for proposals (RFP UHAA 2024-0332) on May 10, 2024. In this rebid of the RAE contracts for phase three of the ACC, HCPF also aligned the RAE regions with the regions for a new Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (BHASO) model. Proposals were due July 13, 2024. The incumbents are Colorado Access, Colorado Community Health Alliance, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Health Colorado, Northeast Health Partners, and Denver Health Medicaid Choice. HCPF announced the awards on September 11, 2024.
The current contracts between HCPF and the RAE incumbents will end on June 30, 2025. The new ACC contracts will begin February 1, 2025, to allow for a five-month start-up period. Full implementation will begin in July 2025. The contract term will not exceed seven years.
Before ACC phase one was established in 2011, physical health services were covered via unmanaged fee-for-service (FFS). At that time the state used managed behavioral health organizations (BHOs) to administer safety net mental health and addiction disorder services. The BHOs, structured as prepaid inpatient health plans (PIHPs), received a capitated rate. In 2011, the ACC began as managed FFS, and regional care coordination organizations (RCCOs) supported physical health care delivery and collaborated with the BHOs. The RCCOs were responsible for developing formal contracted networks of primary care medical homes (PCMHs) and informal networks of specialists and ancillary provider organizations.
The second ACC phase started in July 2018. In this phase, the state established the RAEs, which combined the responsibilities of the RCCOs and the BHOs under a single regional entity. The RAEs operate both the PHIP behavioral health benefit and managed FFS PCMHs. The goal was to promote an integrated, whole-person approach to members’ physical and behavioral health. The RAEs provide regionally responsive care oversight, particularly for members with chronic and complex health conditions. They administer a capitated behavioral health benefit, maintain a provider organization network, and contract with and support PCMHs. The RAEs also provide training and practice transformation support for the PCCMs, and they manage overall administration, data and information, and member access to care by leveraging technology.
On May 14, 2024, the new Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) issued RFP-IBEH-2024000335-4 for BHASOs for public behavioral health services. On October 2, 2204, the BHA announced contract awards to Signal Behavioral Health Network and Rocky Mountain Health Plans. These contracts go live in July 2025.
In the upcoming ACC phase III, the RAEs will focus on streamlining and standardizing the existing systems to reduce health disparities and improve access for members. The BHASOs will manage regional Medicaid and non-Medicaid public behavioral health services.
For more information about the ACC RFP, contact: Erica Crofford, Procurement Specialist, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, 1570 Grant Street, Denver, Colorado 80203; Phone: 719-269-4106; Email: erica.crofford@state.co.us; Website: https://hcpf.colorado.gov/accphaseII
For general information about the ACC and HCPF, contact: Marc Williams, Media Contact, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing, 303 E. 17th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80203; 303-866-3144; Email: marc.williams@state.co.us; Website: https://hcpf.colorado.gov/accphaseII