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Oklahoma Health Care Authority Signs $281 Million Medicaid Contract with HP

^{Published on 2011-02-16 04:55:44 - Market Wire}
 

PALO ALTO, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--HP Enterprise Services today announced the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) has extended its long-time service agreement with the company.

"Oklahoma, like most states, is preparing for healthcare reform by streamlining costs and getting ready for a significant influx of new members"

The $281 million, seven-year contract, which contains a one-year renewal option, adds new information technology services to help prepare the state for healthcare reform and make services more accessible to SoonerCare (Oklahoma Medicaid) members.

As Oklahomaa™s fiscal agent since 2002, HP (NYSE:HPQ) will continue providing systems support and [ business process outsourcing services ] for its Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). The agreement adds [ applications development services ] to enhance OHCAa™s systems. Improvements include a web-based member portal allowing Oklahomans to apply for and track benefits online as well as an upgrade to OHCAa™s provider portal. HP also will assist the state in its efforts to add new [ International Classification of Diseases a" 10^th Revision (ICD-10) ] medical coding features and adhere to the federal HIPAA 5010 requirements.

aOklahoma, like most states, is preparing for healthcare reform by streamlining costs and getting ready for a significant influx of new members,a said Mike Fogarty, chief executive officer, Oklahoma Health Care Authority. aHP has been a trusted partner for a decade and 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.a

OHCA manages SoonerCare benefits for more than 750,000 Oklahoma residents through 29,000 providers while processing about 40 million claims per year. The state expects as many as 240,000 additional SoonerCare members after healthcare reform takes effect.

HPa™s services include SoonerCare online enrollment, eligibility determination and claims processing as well as call center and internet helpdesk support for members and providers. HP also recruits and trains the statea™s providers on navigating the MMIS process. In addition, HP provides member application processing, eligibility and call center support for the Insure Oklahoma program, Oklahomaa™s premium assistance program.

Under the previous contract, HP worked with the agency to develop processes for online member enrollment with instant eligibility determination, online provider enrollment and streamlined prior authorization workflow. The new provider process reduced the approval time for new healthcare providers from several weeks to days. HP also developed the Newborn-1 website, another state vision, giving SoonerCare-qualified mothers of newborns easier access to healthcare and improving efficiency for providers.

aMedicaid is so vital for so many that ita™s imperative for OHCA to strive for the most efficient system possible for members, providers and taxpayers,a said Susan Arthur, vice president, U.S. Healthcare Industry, HP Enterprise Services. aWe 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 a" all with the objective of providing better service and compliance.a

HP is the nationa™s largest provider of Medicaid and Medicare process management services, administering $95 billion in benefits a year. It also serves as the fiscal agent or principal IT provider for Medicaid in 21 states. HPa™s global healthcare experience spans payer, provider, government and life science communities.

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