Managed Care Quality Strategy, Managed Care Program Annual Report (MCPAR), and Other Federally Required Reporting

The Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Final Rule increased state transparency requirements. States are required to provide and maintain specific content on a public website accessible to beneficiaries.  This includes the Managed Care Quality Strategy, the Annual Managed Care Program Report, Network Adequacy and Assurance Report and Managed Care Plan ownership information.

Managed Care Quality Strategy

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), per regulation 42 CFR § 438.340(a) and 42 CFR 457.1240(e), requires states to have a quality strategy for their managed care programs. The intent of the regulation is to ensure members enrolled in Medicaid managed care programs have access to high quality health care services provided by the state's managed care organizations (MCOs) or entities.

The Managed Care Quality Strategy (MCQS) for Pennsylvania's Medical Assistance (MA) and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), describes the managed care programs and structures, populations served, services offered, goals and objectives, quality-related initiatives, and strategies, as well as administrative processes used to assure and monitor quality.

The draft MCQS was published for public comment in the PA Bulletin on September 23, 2023.  The summary of public comments received and the Department of Human Service's response is available here.

Attachments referenced in the Medical Assistance and Children’s Health Insurance Program Managed Care Quality Strategy:

 

Managed Care Program Annual Report (MCPAR)

CMS regulations at 42 CFR § 438.66(e) require states to submit a Managed Care Program Annual Report (MCPAR). Under the regulation, each state must submit to CMS, no later than 180 days after each contract year, a report on each managed care program administered by the state.

The annual report is part of CMS's overall strategy to improve access to services by supporting Federal and state access monitoring for Medicaid beneficiaries within a managed care delivery system.

The MCPAR report provides information in the following categories:

  1. Program enrollment and service area expansions
  2. Financial performance
  3. Encounter data reporting
  4. Grievances, appeals, and state fair hearings
  5. Availability, accessibility, and network adequacy
  6. Delegated entities
  7. Quality and performance measures
  8. Sanctions and corrective action plans
  9. Beneficiary support system (BSS)
  10. Program integrity

Each of the above categories have data indicators (data elements) that are organized by and will be reported at state, program, or plan levels. The blank excel workbook is available on Medicaid.gov and provides the exact indicators reported along with the instructions on how to report.  Each MCPAR report for the managed care program is provided below.  Based on questions received from stakeholders, the Department has prepared and posted a MCPAR Interpretation Document  which provides supplemental information to help interpret the data presented in each report submission. 

 

Network Adequacy and Assurance Report

States must provide documentation regarding the managed care plan's compliance with the requirements for availability and accessibility of services (including the adequacy of the provider network). 

 

Ownership and Controlling Interest Report

States are required to report individuals within managed care organizations that have ownership or a controlling interest in the organization. The following report includes names the individuals and entities with more than 5% controlling interest.

Ownership and Controlling Interest Report 2022 

Ownership and Controlling Interest Report 2023

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS or Department) MA and CHIP programs are administered through the following main programs:

Community HealthChoices (CHC), which provides PH services along with long-term services and supports (LTSS) through CHC-MCOs for adults who require LTSS, as well as adults eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare (Dual Eligible).

2023 MCPAR for the CHC Program

2023 MCPAR Interpretation Document

2022 MCPAR for the CHC Program

2022 MCPAR Interpretation Document

2023 Network Adequacy and Assurance Report and Supporting Documentation

Behavioral Health HealthChoices (BH HC), which is a BH carve-out that provides mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services through county-based entities that subcontract with BH-MCOs for both PH HC and Community HealthChoices (CHC) members.

2023 MCPAR for the BH HC Program

2023 MCPAR Interpretation Document

2022 MCPAR for the BH HC Program

2022 MCPAR Interpretation Document

2023 Network Adequacy and Assurance Report and Supporting Documentation

Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP), which is a fully integrated program that provides PH, BH and home- and community-based services (HCBS) to adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

2021 -2022 MCPAR for the ACAP Program submitted 12/31/2022.

2022 MCPAR Interpretation Document

CHIP, which is operated as a standalone program, covering PH and BH services for children with incomes above the MA income thresholds.

2022 MCPAR Interpretation Document

DHS uses this page to provide public access to the MCQS and its supporting materials.