Advancing NC Whole Health Establishes Partnership to Deliver Integrated Services

DURHAM, N.C. - Sept. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- Advancing NC Whole Health, a coalition of three high-performing local management entity/ managed care organizations (LME/MCOs) –  Vaya Health, Trillium Health Resources and Alliance Behavioral Healthcare – announced today that it has entered into an agreement with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina to collaborate on the delivery of integrated behavioral health, physical health and pharmacy services to beneficiaries in the State's new Medicaid managed care program slated to launch in the fall of 2019.

Through their combined strengths, members of the partnership will offer their unique resources and experience to new health plans under the Medicaid and NC Health Choice 1115 Demonstration Waiver. By doing so, the partnership is committed to demonstrating to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the General Assembly that managed care organizations can successfully work together to implement Medicaid transformation in a way that advances high-quality care, improves population health, engages and supports providers and establishes a sustainable program with predictable costs (a four-prong approach known as the Quadruple Aim).

Collectively, the Advancing NC Whole Health coalition is responsible for managing publicly funded behavioral health and intellectual/ developmental disabilities (IDD) services in three catchment areas that span North Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Together, they are responsible for managing more than $1.375 billion in public funds and 715,000 Medicaid covered lives across 53 counties.

"The partnership announced today with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan will expand our contribution to the health of more North Carolinians," said Brian Ingraham, CEO of Vaya Health.

"Alliance Behavioral Healthcare is excited about this partnership as it will advance whole-person care for the specialized populations we have long served and for other North Carolina Medicaid beneficiaries," said Rob Robinson, Alliance CEO.

"The combined strength of our established provider networks and a shared commitment to using cutting-edge data and analytics and technology-enabled health services to integrate behavioral and physical care for individuals with behavioral health disorders, complex health needs, substance use disorders, and environmental challenges will be powerful for North Carolinians," said Trillium CEO Leza Wainwright.

"Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, Trillium Health Resources and Vaya Health have strong roots in their respective communities and a long history of providing quality services to their members," said Anita Bachmann, CEO of the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina.  "Our partnership will ease the transition to managed care for Medicaid members with behavioral health needs and promote the integration of physical health and pharmaceutical services."

About the Coalition

Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, Trillium Health Resources and Vaya Health are local management entity/ managed care organizations (LME/MCOs) responsible for managing publicly-funded behavioral health and IDD services in three catchment areas that collectively span the State of North Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Together, they are responsible for managing more than $1.375 billion in public funds and 715,000 Medicaid covered lives across 53 counties. More information about the Coalition can be found at www.advancingncwholehealth.com.

About Alliance Behavioral Healthcare

Alliance Behavioral Healthcare is the managed care organization for publicly-funded behavioral healthcare services for the people of Durham, Wake, Cumberland and Johnston counties. Alliance works with a network of almost 2200 private providers to serve the needs of 471,000 Medicaid-eligible and uninsured individuals within a total population of 1.8 million. Alliance operates an Access and Information Center available 24/7 at (800) 510-9132. Learn more at www.AllianceBHC.org.

About Trillium Health Resources

Trillium Health Resources is a leading specialty care manager (LME/MCO) for individuals with substance use, mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities in 26 counties in eastern North Carolina. Trillium's mission is to transform the lives of people in need by providing them with ready access to quality care. We take a person-centered approach to health and wellbeing, coordinating care across multiple systems to achieve improved health outcomes, quality of care and efficient use of resources. Trillium is investing in innovation to meet the unique needs of the individuals and communities we serve, and remains focused on delivering the right services, in the right amount, at the right time. For more information, visit www.TrilliumHealthResources.org.

About Vaya Health

Based in Asheville, N.C., Vaya Health manages public funds for mental health, substance use disorder and intellectual or developmental disability services in 23 western North Carolina counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey. Access to care and crisis assistance are available 24/7 at 1-800-849-6127. Learn more at www.VayaHealth.com.

About UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina, which covers more than 17,000 lives throughout the state, is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. UnitedHealthcare, which has served North Carolina for more than 20 years, offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.