MAHP Medicare-Medicaid members rank among nation’s best
Two Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP) Medicare-Medicaid members were ranked first and third in the federal Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey that measures consumer experiences.
Upper Peninsula Health Plan, based in Marquette, tied for the top score and MeridianComplete (Meridian), headquartered in Detroit, tied for third out of 45 Medicare-Medicaid health plans throughout the country.
The survey shows high customer satisfaction with Upper Peninsula Health Plan and Meridian’s MI Health Link program. MI Health Link offers a broad range of medical and behavioral health services, pharmacy, home and community-based services and nursing home care, all in a single program designed to meet individual needs. It is a new health care option for Michigan adults, ages 21 or over, who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, and live in the counties of Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, Macomb, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Wayne or any county in the Upper Peninsula.
“We are thrilled that our members have positively rated our health plan to allow us this esteemed recognition. Managing care for members who are dually enrolled in a Medicare-Medicaid Plan can be challenging,” said UPHP President and CEO Dennis Smith. “We do our best to keep our members satisfied with the services we provide, and it is wonderful to have their satisfaction reflected in the CAHPS score.”
“Michigan residents are very fortunate to be receiving Medicare and Medicaid services from such high-quality plans,” said Kathy Stiffler, acting Medicaid director with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “The Department is proud to partner with these health plans in ensuring the health and well-being of our most vulnerable residents.”
Under the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) measures consumer experience in multiple ways, including surveys such as the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. Medicare-Medicaid Plans are required to annually conduct the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) CAHPS survey, designed to measure important aspects of an individual’s health care experience including the accessibility to and quality of services.
To be eligible for the MA-PD CAHPS, Medicare-Medicaid plans must have a minimum of 600 enrollees as of July 1st of the preceding calendar year. In early 2017, surveys were sent to a sample of Medicare-Medicaid plan enrollees with at least six months of continuous enrollment. Enrollees were asked to evaluate their health care experience over the previous six months.
“The experience of our members is of the utmost importance to us at Meridian, and being ranked among the country’s best is a gratifying reflection of our commitment,” said Sean Kendall, president and COO, Meridian – Michigan. “We are honored and excited to continue providing the highest quality of care to our members.”
“It’s no surprise that Michigan’s Medicaid-Medicare plans are among the best in the nation,” said Dominick Pallone, executive director of the Michigan Association of Health Plans. “The rankings prove that integrating physical health care, behavioral health care, home and community-based services and medications mean better outcomes and high satisfaction for Michigan participants.”