The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System has awarded contracts for long term care services to two health plans, Health Net Access, Inc. (dba Arizona Complete Health-Complete Plan) and Arizona Physicians IPA, Inc. (dba UnitedHealthcare Community Plan), effective October 1, 2024. Together, these health plans will provide health care services to the approximately 26,000 AHCCCS members who are enrolled in the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) and who are elderly and/or living with a physical disability, known as the ALTCS-EPD program.

The ALTCS contract awards mark the first time in the program’s history that members across the state, regardless of geographic service area, will have a choice between health plans. The initial contract term runs from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027 with options to extend, but not to exceed, a total contract period of seven years.

With the start of these new contracts on October 1, 2024, the two current ALTCS-EPD health plans, Mercy Care and Banner University Family Care, will no longer be contracted to provide health care services to ALTCS-EPD members. Over the next 12 months, AHCCCS and its health plans will work to ensure that ALTCS-EPD members are smoothly transitioned to the new health plan of their choice. AHCCCS will also continuously evaluate the readiness of the awarded health plans prior to the contract start date.

-Stephanie A. Bivens, Esq., CELA