Colorado wins $65 million health care innovation grant

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo., Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded Colorado $65 million in State Innovation Model (SIM) funding to create a coordinated, accountable system of care that improves integration of physical and behavioral health services.

The award builds on an earlier planning grant Colorado received in 2013, which funded development and identification of four major goals:

• Create a coordinated, accountable system of care that gives Coloradans access to integrated primary care and behavioral health.
• Leverage the power of the public health system to achieve broader population health goals and support delivery of care.
• Use outcomes-based payments to enable transformation.
• Engage individuals in their care.

The effort supports multi-stakeholder collaboration, not just regionally but across the state, says Patrick Gordon, associate vice president, Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), who contributed to the grant request. "We don't need yet another new 'intensive care management' program in provider, payer or agency-based silos. We must network existing community resources around patients and communities in new ways to address the cognitive, social, behavioral and economic needs of each member of the community."

This funding will support advances underway throughout Colorado, allowing for more rapid care delivery transformation. RMHP and Western Colorado leaders have a history of supporting behavioral health and broader community integration. To learn more about these efforts, read Tear down this wall: Integrating behavioral health and primary care.

"Health--physical, emotional and behavioral—is a community resource that requires community-wide support. RMHP takes our commitment to our community very seriously," Gordon says. "SIM will contribute to the creation of a statewide framework of policies and supports that promote better integration and use of existing community resources."

About Rocky Mountain Health Plans
Founded in 1974 in Grand Junction, Colorado, as an independent, not-for-profit health insurance provider, Rocky Mountain Health Plans uniquely understands the needs of Coloradans. We provide access to affordable, high-quality health care enabling our almost 300,000 members to live longer, healthier lives, while maintaining our mission to put people before profits. Rocky Mountain Health Plans is the only health plan in Colorado to serve every market segment, including individuals, families, employers, Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus beneficiaries. The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently awarded Rocky Mountain Health Plans a "commendable" status for continuously improving the quality of care and services provided to members. For more information, visit rmhp.org or connect with RMHP on social media: @RMHPColorado on Facebook, @RMHP on Twitter, @rmhpColorado on Pinterest and @rmhpcolorado on Instagram.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/colorado-wins-65-million-health-care-innovation-grant-300011395.html

SOURCE Rocky Mountain Health Plans

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