ValueOptions® To Manage Behavioral Health Care In Newly Awarded Tenncare Contract With Volunteer State Health Plan
Norfolk, Va — April 24, 2008
ValueOptions®, Inc., the nation's largest independent behavioral health care company, will work in collaboration with Volunteer State Health Plan to oversee behavioral health care for the East and West regions of Tennessee in two TennCare contracts awarded to Volunteer State Health Plan (VSHP), a wholly-owned subsidiary for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. TennCare is Tennessee's Medicaid program that provides health coverage to eligible adults, children and families.
The contracts to manage and deliver integrated physical and behavioral health servicesto nearly 373,000 TennCare enrollees go into effect on November 1, 2008, in the West region and on January 1, 2009, in the East region. The contracts run for three years with two optional one-year extensions.
"The ValueOptions®/VSHP partnership brings together two organizations that share a commitment to providing quality, cost-effective health care," said Barbara B. Hill, CEO of ValueOptions®. "We are honored to work with VSHP to provide a fully integrated system of publicly-funded managed care for people in need of behavioral health and medical health care."
"ValueOptions® is deeply committed to providing access to quality care for consumers and families in Tennessee," said Dr. Ed Jones, ValueOptions® Senior Vice-President for National and Health Plan Accounts. "We look forward to working with VSHP and the Bureau of TennCare to deliver effective and appropriate behavioral health care services across the tate, with a focus on recovery and resiliency."
Within Tennessee, ValueOptions® will operate as ValueOptions® of Tennessee, Inc., and will work in VSHP offices in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and other regional offices to serve the state's East and West regions.
ValueOptions® and VSHP were awarded the TennCare contracts following a competitive RFP process that began in January 2008.