Helping consumers navigate healthcare programs

In 2001, ACS was awarded a contract by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to administer the State's Long-Term Care (LTC) Application Processing program. Through this program, ACS provided disabled individuals, and their families, the opportunity to make informed choices about how their long-term care needs can best be met in community or institutional settings. We helped applicants by conducting interviews, explaining the long-term care application process, making referrals to other entities as required, collecting verification information, assisting them in completing the Medicaid application, and forwarding the completed applications to DHH within established time frames. ACS operated a telephone hotline to provide long-term care information to the residents of the state.

The signing of a contract amendment for the Long-Term Care Single Point of Entry was a milestone for ACS, DHH, and the Consumer Task Force (the Disability Services and Supports System Planning Group). Applicants are now afforded a single entry point into Medicaid for long-term care information, referral, and services. The public will be able to call one single central 1-800 number for assistance, versus the traditional, decentralized system that often sent eligibles to multiple departments in order to learn about the program and access services. ACS provided support to the Consumer Task Force as they worked during the better part of 2002 and early 2003 to make recommendations to DHH on programs and services that would support program eligibles.