On August 7th, Governor Hochul announced $500 Million for a new social care networks program to deliver social services and improve health outcomes for millions of low-income New Yorkers. As part of this announcement Care Compass Collaborative was formally announced as the awarded SCN lead entity for the Southern Tier Region! In this role Care Compass will support continued healthcare delivery transformation for Medicaid members across the Southern Tier including Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Otsego, Chenango, and Delaware counties. The NYS Health Equity Reform (NYSHER) 1115 Waiver program is the latest waiver program developed by NYS and will build on the lessons learned and infrastructure gained through DSRIP and seeks to advance health equity and address health-related social needs for Medicaid members.
The 1115 NYSHER waiver program divides New York into nine Social Care Network regions supported by lead entities who will lead the charge in deploying new ‘enhanced services’ that will be available to eligible Medicaid members. To be successful in this work, Care Compass will be tasked with developing and managing a network of regional organizations that will work collaboratively to connect eligible individuals with health-related social needs (HRSNs) to these new enhanced services that will address HRSN areas such as food/nutrition, housing, and transportation needs. This approach, envisioned by New York State, will provide direct support for the most vulnerable people in New York communities and holds promise for improved health outcomes. Governor Hochul shared in a state press release that the “data shows that subsidizing health-related social needs can have significantly positive impacts on health outcomes for low-income New Yorkers. The Social Care Networks will help us transform how we support communities with the greatest unmet needs.” Governor Hochul shared, “Through the SCN program, we are making a direct investment in the health and wellbeing of our local communities – and New Yorkers will be connected to a more equitable and integrated social and health care system.”
“Care Compass is deeply honored to serve as the Social Care Network (SCN) lead entity for the Southern Tier Region,“ shared Mark Ropiecki, Executive Director of Care Compass. “As a former Performing Provider System during the DSRIP waiver serving the Southern Tier Region, Care Compass has a longstanding focus on enhancing access to care, improving quality, and reducing healthcare spend for Medicaid members in the community. Care Compass now looks forward to working with the State and other SCNs to advance health equity and reduce health disparities by connecting the community with these new services. The Southern Tier Region is a leader in healthcare innovation and delivery system transformation and is very well positioned to continue this important work in serving the Medicaid population.”
The involvement of organizations serving Medicaid members throughout the Southern Tier region will be crucial towards achieving regional success. These next few months will present the Southern Tier community with a compressed timeframe to prepare and be ready by the expected start date which is January 1, 2025 – or sooner if possible. In the following days and weeks Care Compass will begin hosting all stakeholder events, distributing readiness surveys, and related efforts to begin supporting organizations for engagement with the new Social Care Networks and the associated enhanced services. Care Compass will also be actively working with adjacent awarded lead entities to help streamline engagement for the many organizations that span through several regions. Additional information will be forthcoming for regional organizations that have previously expressed an interest in participation with Care Compass as the lead SCN for the Southern Tier.
If you would like to receive more information, submit questions, or inquire about joining this work in the Southern Tier region please contact SCNHelpDesk@carecompassnetwork.org.