To Train and Engage Consumers in Accountable Care Collaborative for Improved Medicaid Outcomes

PRESS RELEASE
November 13, 2017
Contact: Adam Fox, 303-839-1261, afox@cohealthinitiative.org

Denver The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI), the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) and the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP) have been awarded a Consumer Advocacy for Transformation grant of $275,000 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to improve consumer engagement in Colorado’s Medicaid payment reform initiative, the Accountable Care Collaborative (ACC).

The grant will support a two-year collaborative project to train and support Medicaid enrollees to represent themselves and other consumers on regional advisory councils. The goal of the project is to improve consumer participation and outcomes.

“At this time of massive changes in our health system, it is essential that consumers are represented in decisions that will affect their care,” said David Adler, senior program officer, RWJF. “The foundation is proud to support consumers’ advocates who are working towards a higher-value, more patient-centered health system.”

“This project will help put Colorado consumers at the center of payment and delivery changes in Medicaid and we expect this to lead to better outcomes from the Accountable Care Collaborative,” said Adela Flores-Brennan, Executive Director of CCHI. “Too often, changes in how we deliver and pay for health care leave out consumers. This project is focused on changing that in Health First Colorado.”

Colorado has already seen initial savings and success from its ACC efforts, but the state is preparing to initiate a new payment and delivery structure by combining the administration of physical and behavioral health. Simultaneously, the state will be moving vulnerable dual-eligible individuals into the ACC. These changes will significantly impact how consumers experience Colorado’s Medicaid program, Health First Colorado and warrants consistent consumer involvement.  Consumers need to be directly involved if Colorado wants to be successful in these changes and build on the success of the ACC.  

“All of us at CCDC are engaged in work that improves the lives of all Coloradans with disabilities and their families — helping to solve problems on an individual basis, which then, in turn, in our other programs helps disabled people to advocate for public policies that meet their needs, particularly for health care, housing, higher education and employment assistance. Because it is clear that people with disabilities want the opportunities to be fully included in and part of our communities, we are excited to work with people with disabilities receiving Medicaid to become advocates as the RAEs are rolled out in our state,” said Julie Reiskin, Executive Director of CCDC.

CCHI and other grantees in the Consumer Advocacy for Transformation program are pursuing state and local health system changes that aim to develop and insert an organized, influential and permanent consumer voice in state and local health system changes. Community Catalyst’s Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation (the Center) will provide critical oversight and expertise for the program. The Center and RWJF are part of a larger effort to increase health care value by preserving efforts to increase access to care, improving health outcomes and lowering costs, especially for populations with disproportionately poor health outcomes.

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Colorado Consumer Health Initiative represents 45+ Colorado health organizations with more than 500,000 health care consumer members and advocates for access to affordable, high-quality, and equitable healthcare for all Coloradans.

About the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC) advocates for social justice for people with all types of disabilities. The CCDC is the premier organization in Colorado for advocating for disability rights. We work with individuals, service providers, and governmental agencies to ensure that people with disabilities have equal rights and equal access. We ensure physical structures are compliant and that policies and procedures decrease barriers. We seek compliance with the ADA and help others to accomplish the same.

About Colorado Center on Law and Policy
Colorado Center on Law and Policy is a nonprofit, non-partisan research and advocacy organization that engages in legislative, administrative and legal advocacy on behalf of low-income Coloradans.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1998 with the belief that affordable quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with national, state and local organizations, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations to ensure consumer interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and the health system are made: in communities, courtrooms, statehouses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org. Read our blog at http://blog.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @healthpolicyhub.

About the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation
The Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation at Community Catalyst serves as a hub devoted to teaching, learning and sharing knowledge to bring the consumer experience to the forefront of health innovation in order to deliver better care, better value and better health for every community, particularly vulnerable and historically underserved populations. The Center’s work is supported through investments in state and local advocacy, leadership development, research and evaluation, and consultative services to delivery systems and health plans. Visit healthinnovation.org or follow them on Twitter @CCEHI to learn more and follow their work.

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