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CHOICE COUNSELING PROGRAM SELECTED AS REGIONAL FINALIST FOR 2008 NATIONAL CSG INNOVATIONS AWARD

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Medicaid Reform Choice Counseling program has been selected as one of 11 regional finalists for the national Council of State Governments (CSG) Innovations Award.  The Innovations Awards Program helps state officials by highlighting innovative programs states have developed to address public policy issues.

“We believe that our beneficiaries deserve a choice of health plans to meet their needs, and the Choice Counseling program has been essential in helping them makes their choices," said AHCA Secretary Holly Benson. “Now, more than ever before, Medicaid recipients are getting coverage that meets their specific needs and helps them get the care they need."

The Medicaid Reform Choice Counseling program consists of specially trained choice counselors that answer questions and help beneficiaries enroll in the health plan that best fits their needs. Beneficiaries can speak with a choice counselor by phone or meet with a choice counselor face-to-face. Spanish and Creole counselors are available. In addition to having nurses on staff, the program also offers face-to-face counseling sessions for beneficiaries who have limited communication skills due to medical or physical concerns

“Medicaid beneficiaries have diverse medical needs and having a Choice Counseling program structured to meet those needs has been critical to the program’s success,” added Christine Osterlund, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Operations.  “The combination of services offered has allowed the program to serve even our most medically and physically-complex beneficiaries.”

The Southern Regional Innovations Selection Committee will review the applications of the regional finalists and select two award winners at the 62^nd Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on July 14, 2008.

More information about the CSG Innovations Award Program is available at http://www.csg.org/programs/innov/default.aspx.

Edited 06/11/2008