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What’s happening
An important update for our community on Mercy Care’s appeal of the ALTCS E/PD contract awards. More information on the status of the ALTCS RFP can be found on AHCCCS’s website .
This week, Mercy Care learned our appeal will be heard by an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) with the Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings between March 25 and April 15. The AHCCCS protest process includes many steps and an administrative hearing is a next step in this process. Following the hearing, the ALJ will recommend a decision to the AHCCCS Director.
Our position remains that the initial outcome of the ALTCS E/PD RFP is not in the best interest of the state. This proposed transition is an unjustified disruption to thousands of elderly, physically disabled and medically frail people served by Mercy Care, who has proven success in serving ALTCS members, while also reducing members’ choice of health plan, and ultimately disrupting their care delivery.
We continue to be optimistic about the possible outcome and continue to explore all options, including the possibility to stay (pause) the contract award (to include any and all transition or implementation activities) until Mercy Care’s protest has been fully and finally adjudicated.
Thank you for your continued support.
It's important to note that this contract award does not impact Mercy Care’s other lines of business, including Mercy Care ACC-RBHA, Mercy Care Developmental Disabilities, Mercy Care Advantage and Mercy Care DCS CHP.
On Wednesday, Feb. 7, Mercy Care filed an appeal with the director of AHCCCS which is the next step in this process. As anticipated, the AHCCCS Procurement Officer denied all protests on Feb 2. The AHCCCS protest process includes many steps and Mercy Care’s appeal to the AHCCCS director is the next step in this process.
We’ll continue to share important updates. More information on the status of the ALTCS RFP can be found on AHCCCS’s website.
For 23 years, Mercy Care has delivered access to innovative, member-focused care that has resulted in excellent health outcomes for thousands of ALTCS E/PD members.
Mercy Care should continue serving ALTCS E/PD members and their families who rely on us to help them get the care and services they need while honoring member choice of ALTCS E/PD health plans. The outpouring of stakeholder feedback proves this is in the “best interest of the state.”
As we’ve said previously, we sincerely appreciate the outpouring of support from members, families, providers, advocates, community organizations and other key stakeholders since the announcement on December 1. We are honored to work alongside you.
It's important to note that this contract award does not impact Mercy Care’s other lines of business, including Mercy Care ACC-RBHA, Mercy Care Developmental Disabilities, Mercy Care Advantage and Mercy Care DCS CHP.
Today, Feb. 2, the AHCCCS Chief Procurement Officer denied Mercy Care’s protest of the ALTCS E/PD contract awards.
We are reviewing AHCCCS’s decision and will continue to share important updates. More information on the status of the ALTCS RFP can be found on AHCCCS’s website.
AHCCCS has a stated objective in the ALTCS RFP to do what is in the “best interest of the state.” This decision involves an unnecessary disruption of thousands of elderly, physically disabled and medically frail people from Mercy Care, who has proven success in serving our ALTCS members with a strong network, quality results and member and provider satisfaction results. This decision will also reduce member choice of health plans in the state of Arizona.
We extend our sincere appreciation for the outpouring of support from members, families, providers, and key stakeholders since the announcement on December 1. We continue to be humbled by the community support and are honored to work alongside you.
It's important to note that this contract award does not impact Mercy Care’s other lines of business, including Mercy Care ACC-RBHA, Mercy Care Developmental Disabilities, Mercy Care Advantage and Mercy Care DCS CHP.
Today, Mercy Care filed a protest in response to the AHCCCS announcement for ALTCS contract awards effective October 1, 2024.
We will continue to share important updates with you. Additional information on the status of the ALTCS RFP can be found on AHCCCS’s website here: YH24-0001 – ALTCS E/PD BIDDERS’ LIBRARY.
We’ve been deeply touched by the outpouring of support from members, families, providers, and key stakeholders impacted by this decision since the announcement on December 1. We are grateful to all who share in our unwavering commitment to the most vulnerable people in the state.
It is important to know that this activity does not impact Mercy Care’s other lines of business, including Mercy Care ACC-RBHA, Mercy Care Developmental Disabilities, Mercy Care Advantage, and Mercy Care DCS CHP.
On Friday, December 1st, Mercy Care was notified that we were not awarded a contract for the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) Elderly and Physically Disabled (E/PD) services by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). ALTCS E/PD is health benefits coverage for individuals who are age 65 or older, or who have a disability, and who require nursing facility level of care. Individuals in the ALTCS program are some of the most vulnerable people in the State.
As a local, not-for-profit, provider-sponsored health plan, Mercy Care and our dedicated, caring and highly qualified employees and providers have been effectively delivering critical services to many families in Arizona for ALTCS E/PD for 23 years. We are extremely heartened by the overwhelming support we have received from the members, families, providers and stakeholders we serve since the decision was announced Friday. Thank you to those who have reached out and expressed your support. Please know we are incredibly grateful to serve this community, invest in this community, and provide the best care possible to Arizona families.
We are currently reviewing our options to determine potential next steps in this process before commenting further on this disappointing outcome.
It is important to know that this decision does not impact Mercy Care’s other lines of business, including Mercy Care ACC-RBHA, Mercy Care Developmental Disabilities, Mercy Care Advantage, and Mercy Care DCS CHP.
Thank you for your support.
Statewide crisis phone line vendor selected
As part of the AHCCCS Complete Care Competitive Contract expansion, the ACC-RBHA contractors, Mercy Care, Care1st and Arizona Complete Health-Complete Care Plan (AzCH-CCP), have jointly selected a single statewide crisis phone vendor to operate Arizona’s 24/7/365 behavioral health crisis phone lines effective 10/01/2022.
Solari was selected to enter into a provider contract with each of the three RBHA contractors.
Solari was selected after a joint Invitation to Respond process. The Invitation to Respond was issued February 18, after gathering public input in January and February 2022. Public input was provided through online surveys and virtual community listening sessions in English and Spanish.
Work to combat sex trafficking continues in Tucson despite reduced resources
Tucson agencies no longer do proactive undercover work to find sex traffickers, and the Police Department now has only one detective reviewing and investigating suspected cases of people being forced into sex work. Much of that work is now done by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations.
But local and federal officials say an October rescue of a 14-year-old victim — who said she was sexually exploited in four states — is among other examples showing they are still working together to target suspects and crack cases, despite a recent reduction in funding and resources.
Executive director Marie Fordnoy of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southern Arizona said the way investigations are conducted makes a difference in the level of trauma a person experiences.
“We use an evidence-based model that gets the story from them while minimizing their trauma,” Fordnoy said of the center’s interview process. “When you provide these services in an advocacy center, research shows the victim is more likely to get follow-up medical care and follow-up mental health services.”
Another member of the collaborative is Mercy Care, a local nonprofit, Medicaid managed-care health plan.
“Children in foster care have a higher risk of becoming trafficking victims, and through our partnership with the Department of Child Safety, we’re responsible statewide for the health and wellness of these children,” Mercy Care project manager Amber Divens, who works with the Southern Arizona Human Trafficking Collaborative, said in an email to the Star.
“We want to make sure that youth who have been trafficked have immediate access to the physical and mental health care services they need.”
Read the full story at the Arizona Daily Star.