Changes to West Virginia's and Kent...

Changes to West Virginia's and Kentucky's Medicaid programs, allowed for in a less degree than the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act, were approved through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in May. As an alternative to the basic plan, West Virginia will furnish Medicaid enrollees an enhanced package option with benefits so as smoking cessation help, nutritional education, diabetes care, and mental health services. To encourage enrollee to adopt healthy behaviors, those in the enhanced plan must sign an agreement with the state promising to comply with all commited treatment and wellness behaviors. In the first year, the state will track whether the enrollee adhere to screening directions and health improvement programs, attend scheduled appointments, and take medication as indicated. Access to the enhanced benefits may be dissipated by those who do not hold the agreement. Kentucky will show enrollees customized benefits according to their age and health status, with common package aimed at healthy children and other plans to attend more complex needs. Enrollees with health conditions of the like kind as diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will be tendered "Get Healthy" benefits including dental and vision services and nutrition counseling. costliness sharing will be reduced by means of a $10 copay for inpatient admission and the waving of co-pays for physician, vision, dental and other services. Kentucky also will help enrollee purchase health care between the sides of their employers, if they single out For more information, visit http://wwwhhsgov/news/press/2006pres/20060503html (West Virginia) or http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060503a.html (Kentucky)

COPYRIGHT 2006 American Academy of Family Physicians

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