SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmington Hills-based Botsford Health Plan will transfer the contracts for all of its approximately 11,300 Medicaid members to CAPE Health Plan, the two companies announced today.
Employees at CAPE and Botsford have been notified of the change, and the transfer could be complete as early as July, pending approval from the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Office of Finance and Insurance Service (OFIS). Financial terms of the transfer were not disclosed. The transfer will bring CAPE’s total membership to approximately 77,000.
The transition from Botsford to CAPE is expected to be a smooth one for members and providers, since the vast majority of Botsford’s primary and specialty providers also have contracts with CAPE. Botsford physicians who do not currently contract with CAPE will be offered a participating provider agreement, with the goal of enabling all Botsford members to switch to CAPE without changing primary care physicians.
Botsford Health Care Continuum, which operates Botsford Health Plan, is transferring its Medicaid contracts to focus on its core business of providing health care. The Medicaid-only plan serves members located in Wayne and Oakland County. Those members will transition to CAPE Health Plan. There will be no changes for current CAPE members.
“CAPE and Botsford are both Medicaid-only HMOs with members located primarily in Wayne and Oakland counties, so this was a very natural fit for us,” said CAPE president and chief operating officer Nancy Wanchik. “There are only about twenty primary care physicians who need to be brought on board with CAPE, so we’re looking forward to a very smooth transition for everyone involved.”
“We were looking to transition our members to the health plan that would cause our members the least possible disruption, and CAPE is that plan,” said Gerson I. Cooper, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Botsford Health Plan. “They can look forward to the same quality of care under CAPE that they enjoyed with us.”
Botsford Health Plan members will be notified by mail. Members with questions can also call their primary care physicians or the Botsford Health Plan Member Services Department for assistance.
Established in 1983, CAPE Health Plan serves approximately 66,000 members, primarily beneficiaries of Medicaid and the MIChild Health insurance program, in the state of Michigan. Listed as one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ Leading Women-Owned Businesses, CAPE has played a key role in supporting women’s and children’s health care issues. CAPE’s asthma program, “Playing Ball with Asthma,” recently won the 2003 Michigan Association of Health Plans’ Pinnacle Award for Disease Management in a Medicaid Health Plan.
Founded as a clinic plan in 1996, Botsford Health Plan is part of the Botsford Health Care Continuum. The plan has served approximately 11,300 Medicaid recipients in Wayne and Oakland counties. Botsford Health Care continuum is an integrated system of care that includes Botsford General Hospital, Community Emergency Medical Services, the Botsford Continuing Care Corporation, the Botsford Health Plan, and the Botsford Center for Health Improvement.
CAPE Health Plan
CONTACT: Gabe Cherry of Brogan & Partners, +1-313-874-8557, for CAPEHealth Plan; or Nancy Dumas of Botsford Health Care Continuum,+1-248-442-7986
