Posts Tagged ‘CAHPS Survey’

UPHP Earns Top National Honor for Medicare-Medicaid Plan Member Experience
Posted on January 29, 2020

Marquette, Mich. – The Integrated Care Resource Center announced this week that Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) MI Health Link (MHL) has once again been named one of the top scoring Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMPs) in the nation for overall health plan rating. This marks the fourth year in a row that UPHP MHL has received this top honor out of a group of more than 40 MMPs participating in demonstration regions across the United States.

UPHP MHL is a health care option for adults over the age of 21 who are enrolled in both Medicare and Michigan Medicaid. UPHP was approved by the State of Michigan and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide the services for Upper Peninsula residents who are eligible for the program. UPHP MHL members use one plan and one ID card for health care, behavioral health care, home-and community-based services, nursing home care, and medications. Additionally, members are assigned their own UPHP Care Coordinator to help them create a personal care plan, making getting care easier and more effective.

“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized as one of the top plans in nation every year since Michigan began participating in the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI) – something no other plan has done nationally. It is our dedicated staff and provider network who deserve the credit for this recognition. Their passion for serving our members is what is reflected in our member satisfaction survey,” said UPHP Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Holmquist. “We’re also proud to see two other Michigan plans amongst the top; it really shows that Michigan is leading the nation when it comes to health care.”

Each year, CMS measures consumers experience and satisfaction with their MMP in multiple ways, including through beneficiary surveys such as the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. UPHP is required to administer the CAPHS survey annually, which is designed to measure important aspects of an individual’s health care experience, including access to care and quality of services.

As part of the CAHPS survey, respondents (who are required to have at least six months of continuous enrollment to participate) were asked to rate their health plan on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst health plan possible and 10 is the best health plan possible.

The scores below are the percentage of the best possible score each contract earned. UPHP MHL missed full ownership of the top spot by just a few decimal points.

MMPStateScore (Out of 100)
Healthspring Life & Health Insurance Company TX92
Upper Peninsula Health PlanMI92
Amerigroup TexasTX90
HealthfirstNY90
AmeriHealth MichiganMI89
Neighborhoods Health Plan of RIRI89
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of TexasTX89
HAP MidwestMI89

Health plans, including MMPs, must have a minimum of 600 enrollees as of July 1 of the preceding calendar year in order to report CAHPS. CMS anticipates making additional information regarding 2019 CAHPS results under the Medicare-Medicaid FAI available soon. For more information on the CAHPS survey, visit http://www.ma-pdpcahps.org/. More information on the Medicare-Medicaid FAI can be found on the CMS website.

Upper Peninsula Health Plan currently manages the care of nearly 50,000 Upper Peninsula residents enrolled in Michigan Medicaid, Children’s Special Health Care Services, the Healthy Michigan Plan, MI Health Link, and Medicare Advantage. Its network exceeds 2,000 providers. Learn more at www.uphp.com.

UPHP Repeats as Top Scoring Medicare-Medicaid Plan on CAHPS Overall Rating
Posted on December 12, 2018

MARQUETTE – The Integrated Care Resource Center announced on Wednesday, December 12th that for the second year in a row Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) has tied for first place in the nation for overall rating of a Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP). UPHP was approved by the State of Michigan and the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) to provide the services of a dual eligible program called MI Health Link. The advantages of the MI Health Link program are to make member’s Medicare and Michigan Medicaid benefits work better together. MI Health Link members use one plan and one card for health care, behavioral health care, home and community based services, nursing home care, and medications.

Under the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative, CMS measures consumer experience in multiple ways, including through beneficiary surveys such as the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. Under the capitated financial alignment model, Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMPs) are required to annually conduct the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) CAHPS survey. The MA-PD CAHPS survey is designed to measure important aspects of an individual’s health care experience including the accessibility to and quality of services.

As part of the MA-PD CAHPS survey, respondents are asked to rate their health plan on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst health plan possible and 10 is the best health plan possible. The scores below are the percentage of the best possible score each contract earned:

“We are thrilled to be recognized for a second year in a row as one of the top Medicare-Medicaid Health Plans in the nation. The credit for this recognition goes to our hard working staff and network of providers who dedicate themselves to serving our members. It is their effort that is reflected in our member satisfaction via this CAHPS survey,” said UPHP CEO, Melissa Holmquist.

In order to report MA-PD CAHPS in a given year, health plans, including MMPs, must have a minimum of 600 enrollees as of July 1st of the preceding calendar year. In early 2018, surveys were sent to a sample of Medicare-Medicaid Plan enrollees with at least six months of continuous enrollment. Enrollees were asked to evaluate their health care experience over the previous six months. As a result, 41 MMPs participating in nine capitated model demonstrations were able to report CAHPS during the 2018 reporting cycle.

CMS anticipates making additional information regarding 2018 CAHPS results under the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative available soon. For more information on the MA-PD CAHPS survey see http://www.ma-pdpcahps.org/.

About UPHP

Upper Peninsula Health Plan currently serves nearly 50,000 members across five product lines (Michigan Medicaid, Children with Special Health Care Services, Healthy Michigan Plan, MI Health Link, and Medicare Advantage) and its network exceeds 2,000 providers. Learn more at www.uphp.com.

UPHP among Top Scoring Medicare-Medicaid Plans in 2016 CAHPS Survey
Posted on January 05, 2017

MARQUETTE– Integrated Care Resource Center recently released a snapshot of their overall rating of health plans in which Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) tied for 3rd in the nation for Medicare-Medicaid Plans. This national initiative of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services helps states improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. UPHP MI Health Link is a Medicare-Medicaid plan that contracts with both Medicare and Medicaid to provide benefits of both programs to enrollees.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services is measuring consumer experience in multiple ways, including through beneficiary surveys, such as the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. Medicare CAHPS surveys produce comparable data on the patient’s experience of care that allow objective and meaningful comparisons on domains that are important to consumers. In order to report CAHPS in a given year, health plans must have a minimum of 600 enrollees as of July 1st of the preceding calendar year. The current enrollment of UPHP MI Health Link is 4,120 members.

As part of the 2016 CAHPS survey, respondents were asked to rate their health plan on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst health plan possible and 10 is the best health plan possible. With 8.8 out of 10 on overall health plan rating, UPHP received one of the highest scores in the nation.

The scores below are the percentages of the best possible score each contract earned when consumers were asked to rate the health plan overall:

mmp-cahps-chart

During the 2016 reporting cycle, 40 Medicare-Medicaid Plans participating across eight states were able to report CAHPS. The survey data are publicly reported by contract. Public reporting of the survey results is designed to create incentives for contracts to improve their quality of care and also serves to enhance public accountability in health care by increasing the transparency of the quality of care provided by Medicare contracts.

CMS anticipates making additional information regarding 2016 CAHPS results under the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative available in early 2017. The results from the Medicare CAHPS surveys are published in the Medicare & You handbook and on the Medicare Options Compare Web site (www.medicare.gov).

About UPHP

Upper Peninsula Health Plan currently serves over 47,000 members across five product lines (Michigan Medicaid, MIChild, Children with Special Health Care Services, MI Health Link, and Medicare Advantage) and its network exceeds 900 providers. Learn more at www.uphp.com.

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