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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – HP Enterprise Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority have signed a seven-year, $281 million IT and information services contract aimed at preparing SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program, for federal health reform mandates.
“Oklahoma, like most states, is preparing for healthcare reform by streamlining costs and getting ready for a significant influx of new members,” said Mike Fogarty, CEO of the OHCA. “HP has the expertise to keep us on the forefront of technology so we can provide the best, most cost-effective service to our SoonerCare providers and members.”
The deal, announced Feb. 16, builds on a decade-long relationship between the OHCA and HP, which has provided systems support and business process services for the state’s Medicaid Management Information System. Since 2002, HP has helped the state develop processes for online member enrollment with instant eligibility determination and developed the Newborn-1 website, which gives SoonerCare-qualified mothers of newborns easier access to healthcare while improving efficiency for providers.
The new agreement adds a host of additional services to enhance the OHCA’s systems. These include a Web-based member portal allowing residents to apply for and track benefits online as well as an upgrade to the OHCA’s provider portal. HP also will assist the state in its efforts to add new ICD-10 medical coding features and adhere to the federal HIPAA 5010 requirements.
The OHCA manages SoonerCare benefits for more than 750,000 Oklahoma residents through 29,000 providers while processing about 40 million claims per year. Under health reform, the state project could serve as many as 240,000 additional Medicaid enrollees in the coming years.
“Medicaid is so vital for so many that it’s imperative for OHCA to strive for the most efficient system possible for members, providers and taxpayers,” said Susan Arthur, vice president of U.S. Healthcare Industry for HP Enterprise Services. “We apply the knowledge and experience from managing Medicaid programs across almost half of the United States to the applications development and other services we provide to OHCA – all with the objective of providing better service and compliance.”
HP will provide services for SoonerCare online enrollment, eligibility determination and claims processing as well as call center and Internet helpdesk support for members and providers. The company will also train providers to navigate the MMIS process and provide member application processing, eligibility and call center support for the Insure Oklahoma program, Oklahoma’s premium assistance program.
In January, the OHCA announced that Oklahoma’s Medicaid program had the lowest error rate of 17 states reviewed this cycle by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through the Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM) initiative. Oklahoma’s error rate was 1.2 percent, compared to the national average of 8.98 percent.
“Our agency has a commitment to accountability and transparency in the use of taxpayer dollars,” said Fogarty. “We feel this process helps move us closer to these goals while providing feedback on our payment processes.”
