Florida | Spring | 2009 | Health Plan Analysis
Florida delivers managed care services to Medicaid beneficiaries in many ways, and now it's looking at adding yet another delivery system. In the summer of 2010, the state plans to test a medical home model for Medicaid beneficiaries using federally qualified health centers in two counties to coordinate care. Meanwhile, as the Medicare Advantage market matures in Florida, the number of seniors choosing plan designs with extensive drug coverage in the coverage gap is dwindling and more migration into leaner benefits is expected as policymakers consider cuts to Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates. Group enrollment in the Sunshine State was declining through most of 2008 while some carriers saw partial replacement of the lost covered lives through growth in individual plans. The attractiveness of the individual market may be one reason that the new Cover Florida program has had tepid response from buyers so far with fewer than 2,000 enrollees through the end of March 2009. Electronic health records took a significant leap forward in Florida with an agreement between Availity LLC, a partnership founded by Humana Inc. and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, and the state's Medicaid agency. In the deal, providers will have access to health data on 1.4 million non-HMO Medicaid beneficiaries.
