Monday, October 18, 2004 - 4:15 PM
3

A Model Collaboration with Medicaid Managed Care

BACKGROUND:
California's Statewide Immunization Information System (SIIS) is comprised of nine registries in various stages of implementation. Provider recruitment is active in most regions. A collaboration at the state level between the Department of Health Services' Medi-Cal Managed Care Division and SIIS has provided access to Medi-Cal Managed Care plans across the state. These plans are highly motivated to participate in promoting the registry within their own provider networks.

OBJECTIVE:
An Immunization Collaborative Group was formed with the goal of ensuring that Medi-Cal Managed care plans understand registry benefits. The group also supports regional liaisons to coordinate assessment and recruiting efforts.

METHOD:
A group representing about 12 Medi-Cal Managed Care health plans meets with State staff to establish periorities to promote registry use among their providers.

RESULT:
The SIIS staff were able to respond to specific areas of need from the Medi-Cal Managed Care community. These included a series of four web-based teleconferences focusing on: registry benefits, provider technological readiness, a software demonstration, and legal issues. Materials were developed including a sample technology assessment form and a sample parent disclosure notification letter. Close collaboration with one large health plan also resulted in a letter about the immunization registry being sent out to 4,000 providers. Input from the group has also highlighted refinements needed to address batch data transfers and accessing HEDIS data.

CONCLUSION:
This has been an important vehicle in California to reach out to Medi-Cal managed care health plans and providers. The group has also proved to be a catalyst in promoting good working relationships between registries and health plans and has accelerated managed care provider readiness assessments and recruiting.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Participants will learn strategies used to form a successful collaboration between Medicaid Managed Care health plans and the immunization registry.


Web Page: www.ca-siis.org/events.html

  Recorded presentation

See more of Successful Collaborations with Registry Partners — Part 2
See more of The 2004 Immunization Registry Conference