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15 <br /> 1 Cardinal Innovations Health Care and realigning with Alliance Health to administer mental and <br /> 2 behavioral health services for Orange County residents. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 BACKGROUND: <br /> 5 North Carolina General Statutes and the North Carolina Administrative Code authorize and <br /> 6 prescribe the process through which a County may seek permission to disengage from one <br /> 7 LME-MCO and realign with another. The final decision making authority rests with the <br /> 8 Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. <br /> 9 <br /> 10 The Board of Commissioners initiated the disengagement process by approving the County's <br /> 11 Intent to Disengage on November 5, 2020. This formal notice was transmitted to the Secretary <br /> 12 of Health and Human Services, the Co-Chairs of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on <br /> 13 Health and Human Services, and the affected counties on November 16, 2020. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 In addition to the Intent to Disengage, the Board of Commissioners is required to approve a <br /> 16 Disengagement Plan. This abstract would approve the Disengagement Plan (Attachment 1) as <br /> 17 required by law and initiate a sixty (60) calendar day public comment period. During the <br /> 18 comment period, the County is required to solicit comments from consumers, advocates, self- <br /> 19 advocates, and State and Local Consumer and Family Advisory Committees. Following the <br /> 20 sixty (60) day comment period, the comments must be posted on the County's website for a <br /> 21 minimum of thirty (30) calendar days. <br /> 22 <br /> 23 Disengagement Plan Highlights <br /> 24 The Disengagement Plan details the disengagement process and efforts to involve stakeholders <br /> 25 in this process. The important elements of the Plan include: <br /> 26 <br /> 27 • Creating a Realignment Committee consisting of key county officials and agencies, <br /> 28 Alliance Health and Cardinal Innovations Health Care representatives, and other <br /> 29 appropriate stakeholders. <br /> 30 <br /> 31 • Creating a Continuity of Services Plan to ensure continuity of services during the <br /> 32 transition. Alliance intends to honor current service authorizations, annual plans and <br /> 33 other authorizations essential to ensure a smooth transition and intends to honor <br /> 34 provider rates following a financial due diligence period that is currently underway. <br /> 35 <br /> 36 Engaging the public and stakeholders impacted by the transition. These engagement <br /> 37 efforts will include notification to affected providers and Medicaid recipients and those <br /> 38 Orange County residents receiving state-funded services through Cardinal Innovations <br /> 39 Health Care, and a concentrated effort to solicit comments, feedback and suggestions <br /> 40 from consumers, advocates, providers, State and Local Consumer and Family Advisory <br /> 41 Committees (CFACs), and other interested parties. The engagement efforts will use a <br /> 42 variety of communication methods including a dedicated website, mailings, stakeholder <br /> 43 meetings, press releases, and social media messaging as appropriate. <br /> 44 <br /> 45 Additional Agreements <br /> 46 In addition to the process and commitments contained in the Disengagement Plan, Alliance <br /> 47 Health has also agreed to provide the following to Orange County: <br /> 48 <br /> 49 • One seat on the Alliance Health Board of Directors, <br /> 50 • Participation on the Alliance County Commissioners Advisory Committee, <br />