The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) Abstract
In 2007, 27 states received Medicaid Transformation Grants under Section 6081 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The grants were rewarded to states that proposed innovative methods which in the end of the two years are designed to produce better health outcomes at lower cost.
The Center for Health Transformation is highlighting states that have received these Medicaid Transformation Grants, and will be following their progress for the next two years. In order for key decisionmakers and industry leaders from around the country to learn from others’ successes, it is our intention to provide this resource in order to showcase innovative practices from across the nation. In the future, this site will be interactive, allowing program directors to submit updates and comments regarding their program.
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) is requesting $124,880 in Medicaid Transformation Grant funds to centralize and automate Medicaid estate recoveries, with a goal of increasing recoveries by 50% in the first year, an additional 50% in the second year, and sustained operations at the increased level thereafter.
Over the past four years, the state general assembly has strengthened statutes to improve the state’s position in estate recovery, but without administrative action and system enhancement, the impact of these improvements will be limited. Medicaid estate recoveries in Indiana reached a plateau of just under $8 million per year between 2004 and 2006.
Indiana OMPP proposes to improve estate recovery rates by improving on internal technology, improving work processes and coordinating with external technology projects that will provide vital information to our system. Grant funds will be used to set up a centralized office, install hardware and software to conduct data matches with counties and other entities, develop and implement data matching policies and procedures, and incorporate success measurements and reporting tools for the project and for ongoing operations.
Indiana OMPP will coordinate with an on-going effort to automate probate records that is being carried out in counties across the state. Of the 92 county court systems in Indiana, 34 counties have made installations of the DOXPOP system and 55 counties plan to install the system in the next two years. The remaining three counties already operate different automated probate record systems. Indiana OMPP will begin centralized date matches through the Indiana State Department, the DOXPOP system and the 3 independent county systems. This will allow for automated case tracking for estate recovery and assure that candidate cases are not overlooked.
Indiana anticipates increasing recoveries from approximately $8 million to $11 million by the end of the first full project year. Additional increased in grant year two should bring annual recovery totals to $15 million.
The state is committed to ongoing funding and operation of the centralized and automated estate recovery program after the conclusion of the grant period.
