Texas Health and Human Services Commission Awards STAR Kids Managed Care Contract to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Special Needs Children and Young Adults and their Families to be served by Managed Care Organizations

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Oct 15, 2015, 12:17 ET

RICHARDSON, Texas, Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) as a State of Texas Access Reform (STAR) Kids Medicaid program health plan in the Metropolitan Rural (MRSA) - Central Texas and Travis service areas.

The STAR Kids Medicaid program is anticipated to go into effect in the Fall of 2016, but with implementation activities starting this fall. The STAR Kids contract includes the coordination and delivery of medical, behavioral, social and developmental services needed by special needs children and young adults and their families. BCBSTX was awarded this population in the 39 counties contained in the two service areas mentioned above and we expect to service approximately 10,000 children when the program commences. BCBSTX is also implementing a Medicare Advantage - Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP) to serve STAR Kids members who are dually eligible under Medicare and Medicaid programs in select counties.

"To be entrusted with the integration, coordination and management of health care received by so many of Texas' children is not only a great honor, but a great responsibility," said Bert Marshall, president of BCBSTX. "It is also a testament to the breadth of capabilities our company brings to bear, including our range of provider networks and community-based relationships as well as our deep experience serving these vulnerable populations," he added.

BCBSTX's proposal was one of the health plans selected from a large field of competing bids, consolidating the company's position as an insurer of choice for complex, multifaceted government contracts.

Outreach to parents and/or legal guardians of the children served by this STAR Kids program will begin in short order, and various focus groups with parents will be undertaken to determine the types of services and care that best align with the needs of their children and their families. For more information on how to be included in them, visit: www.bcbstx.com/medicaid or E-mail Janice Fagen, Vice President of Texas Medicaid Operations at: [email protected].

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and healthcare practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve more than 5 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

BCBSTX.com | Twitter.com/BCBSTX | Facebook.com/BlueCrossBlueShieldOfTexas |YouTube.com/BCBSTX

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SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas