An estimated 900 Warwick members of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island will have uninterrupted access to integrated managed care services through 2023 under a recently announced three-year extension of contracts.

In a press release Neighborhood disclosed it has extended contracts with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to continue its Medicare-Medicaid Duals Program.

The contract extension ensures that the more than 13,000 members on Neighborhood’s INTEGRITY (Medicare-Medicaid Plan) plan will have access to managed care services for the next three years.

“When Neighborhood began working with the state to integrate Medicaid and Medicare benefits, we knew we had an opportunity to help some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable residents by streamlining their access to high-quality health care and creating long-term stability for them,” said Peter Marino, president and CEO of Neighborhood in a statement.

“We are proud of the work we have done with EOHHS, CMS and terrific providers in the community to build a nationally-recognized Medicare-Medicaid program that provides first-class care coordination for eligible members and are honored to continue such important work.”

Through Neighborhood’s INTEGRITY plan, members – dual-eligible Rhode Islanders – receive 24/7 care management, access to housing and rehabilitation specialists, long term services and supports (LTSS), and other flexible benefits like home maker services, a personal emergency response system, and meal delivery. Dual-eligible Rhode Islanders are typically older individuals or adults with disabilities who have a wide range of health care needs and who are often economically-disadvantaged. 

Key benefits of Neighborhood’s INTEGRITY plan include coordinated care teams, a person-centered approach to care, no plan co-pays, premiums or deductibles; and one health insurance card that covers both Medicare and Medicaid services. Additionally, members have access to a care manager to help navigate the complexity of the system as well as maintain good health.

Marino added, “Neighborhood wanted to be instrumental in transforming care for dual eligible Rhode Islanders and knew we had the experience and qualifications to do so. We were founded 25 years ago by the state’s community health centers to provide high-quality health care to the most at-risk people in Rhode Island. Since then, Neighborhood has become a top national health plan and has received “Excellent” ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for 19 consecutive years. As one of nine Medicare-Medicaid demonstration plans in the country, we have invested significant resources to create the operational and clinical infrastructure needed. The impact of these efforts is evident in our plan’s performance on key outcome measures for our dually-eligible members. We are excited to partner with our state and federal colleagues to continue to improve care.”