The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that MI Health Link beneficiaries now have an additional resource for information and support through the MI Health Link Ombudsman Program which was officially operational December 1. As a requirement of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), MDHHS must provide an ombudsman program for the project.
A collaboration between the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative and the Counsel and Advocacy Law Line, the MI Health Link Ombudsman Program will respond to general inquiries about the MI Health Link program. The ombudsman will also provide advocacy for enrollees needing assistance with access to services, billing issues, quality of supports and services and other issues by working with the MI Health Link health plans, the Pre-paid Inpatient Health Plans for behavioral health services, and MDHHS for problem resolution.
In addition to the MI Health Link Ombudsman Program, MI Health Link beneficiaries may also be referred to other organizations such as legal services, the Medicare and Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP), the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Michigan ENROLLS, Adult Protective Services, or other appropriate agencies.
The MI Health Link Ombudsman program may be reached by calling toll-free 888-746-6456 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Inquiries may also be directed to HELP@mhlo.org.
MI Health Link is a demonstration project for people eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare in four regions of the state (Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, Macomb, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Wayne and all counties in the Upper Peninsula.
MI Health Link offers a broad range of medical and behavioral health services, pharmacy, home and community-based services and nursing home care, all in a single program designed to meet individual needs. Each enrollee has a care coordinator and receives their care from an Integrated Care Organization (ICO), also known as a MI Health Link health plan.
Participants in the program can enroll, disenroll, or change plans throughout the year and do not need to wait for an "open enrollment window." The MI Health Link Ombudsman program is funded by a grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
For additional information visit www.michigan.gov/MIHealthLink.
Published: Thu, Dec 10, 2015
