Today, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) announced the award of expanded contracts to three AHCCCS Complete Care (ACC) health plans to provide integrated physical and behavioral health services to Medicaid members who have a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) designation.
These services are currently provided by contracted health plans known as Regional Behavioral Health Authorities (RBHAs). These awarded contract expansions, known as Regional Behavioral Health Agreements, expand the existing ACC contracts with Mercy Care, Arizona Complete Health (AZCH), and Care1st Health Plan Arizona, Inc. (Care1st), by Geographic Service Area (GSA) (see table below). The additional contract requirements are effective Oct. 1, 2022.
Through this contract expansion, the existing health plans will provide integrated services to individuals with SMI designations; non-Title XIX/XXI state and grant funded services; statewide crisis services for all Arizonans; and Court Ordered Evaluations when contracted by certain Arizona counties.
With these contract awards, approximately 5,860 Title XIX/XXI members with an SMI designation (approximately 12 percent of members in this population group), as well as 6,600 Non-Title XIX/XXI individuals who receive grant and state funded services (approximately 9.5 percent of this population group), will move from their current health plan, Health Choice Arizona, to Care1st, the newly awarded health plan in the North GSA. At the same time, AHCCCS is aligning the counties that comprise each GSA with the rest of AHCCCS’ service delivery. With this realignment, Gila and Pinal Counties will be grouped with Maricopa County to form the Central GSA; approximately 1,880 Title XIX/XXI members and 3,125 Non-Title XIX/XXI individuals will move to the Central GSA (450 Title XIX/XXI members and 755 Non-Title XIX/XXI individuals from Gila County, and 1,430 Title XIX/XXI members and 2,370 Non-Title XIX/XXI individuals from Pinal county).
| CONTRACT AWARDS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2022 |
|
|---|---|
| HEALTH PLAN | GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA (GSA) |
| Mercy Care* |
Central Maricopa, Gila, and Pinal Counties (excluding zip codes 85542, 85192, and 85550) Gila County moving to Central GSA from North GSA Pinal County moving to Central GSA from South GSA |
| Arizona Complete Health* |
South Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Yuma Counties (including zip codes 85542, 85192, and 85550) Pinal County moving to Central GSA |
| Care1st Health Plan** |
North Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, and Apache Counties Gila County moving to Central GSA |
*Current RBHA Contractor
**New RBHA Contractor (currently Health Choice, Arizona is the RBHA in this GSA)
Learn more about the contract award on the Competitive Contract Expansion web page.
