Cardinal Innovations pledges $30M to address child welfare in all twenty counties

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Innovations Healthcare has announced a new program aimed at supporting children in custody of social services.  The plan includes a $30M investment over two years to help take care of children in foster care. Cardinal will offer an agreement with its county DSS partners that provides a monthly payment, referred to as sub-capitation, for every Medicaid-eligible foster child in its care. Counties will be able to use these Medicaid funds to cover the cost of some preliminary or transitional care, or to address social determinants of health such as housing, transportation, food insecurity. 

"We want to make a meaningful impact for children who are separated from their families and in custody of social services, and we can't wait for full system reform to do so," said Trey Sutten, CEO. "This pledge allows us to solve for one of the most challenging aspects – making sure youth have a safe and immediate placement with appropriate treatment – by directly funding our DSS partners for every child that comes into custody and needs behavioral health services." This approach is parter of a larger child welfare program that Cardinal Innovations is implementing over the coming months. Additional components include immediate access to a care coordinator, shorter authorization times, and an expanded network of providers to care for children.

Along with the new child welfare program, Cardinal Innovations has taken a number of additional steps to improve their service delivery to encompass plans around emergency department utilization and the number of services and providers readily available in any community.

Sutten said the timing of the investment and improvements coincides with planning for Medicaid transformation in the state. "The future of healthcare in North Carolina is integrated care, which will allow us to coordinate care that connects the mind with the body, and the individual with the environment of social supports in their community."  "Listening and being responsive to our members, providers and communities now is a critical component to being able to improve health outcomes for our members when we are responsible for all aspects of their care." Cardinal Innovations is accepting feedback on their website from anyone across their twenty counties that wants to share their perspective.

About Cardinal Innovations
Cardinal Innovations is a specialized health plan contracted with the state to support 825,000 residents in its 20-county region who receive Medicaid or are uninsured or underinsured, and need treatment and support for mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and/or substance use disorders.

For more information: www.cardinalinnovations.org

SOURCE Cardinal Innovations Healthcare

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http://www.cardinalinnovations.org