Medicaid recipients must decide how to access health care

By: SCNow Staff | SCNow
Published: June 12, 2008

People who get medical care through Medicaid in the Pee Dee soon will have a choice to make regarding how they access their health care.

Emma Forkner, director of S.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said the changes to the Medicaid program will offer participants a choice between plans — something they’ve never had before.

“S.C. Healthy Connection is the name of our opportunity for our participants in Medicaid to select a health care system that will work for them and their families as well,” she said.

Forkner said the program is similar to those offered by area employers in which enrollees decide which plan meets their personal needs best.

“What we had before in South Carolina was called fee-for-service,” she said. “Now, in this case, we have a combination of choices they can make. We have the regular fee-for-service Medicaid, and if they like that, they can continue using it.”

But now there are new choices to pick from, Forkner said.

“Every day in South Carolina, a newly-determined Medicaid-eligible enrollee will need to make a choice of the delivery system they will be a part of,” she said.

Forkner said the way the program works will be an adventure for many enrollees, requiring assistance from experienced counselors.

DHHS will hold a series of informational town hall meetings in the Pee Dee to help inform people about the options available to them through the new program.

Before the meetings, Medicaid beneficiaries can expect to receive a packet of information in the mail, Forkner said.

“They need to open it, read it and respond to it,” she said. “Don’t put it in a stack of mail to (be) opened at a later date.”

Forkner said the envelope will be easily identifiable. It will be green with the DHHS logo in the top left-hand corner.

“It’s the same logo that’s on their Medicaid card,” she said.

Bryan Kost, public information officer for DHHS, said the meetings are scheduled to begin next week.

“These are health plans you may be seeing advertised to get the attention of the Medicaid associates,” he said. “This is a population who has been advertised to. They have people competing for them now.”

And that alone is a new experience for many Medicaid recipients.

“Now there are some new health care players in town,” Kost said.

S.C. Department of Health and Human Services Pee Dee town meetings: