ADVOCATES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DEMAND A SEAT AT THE TABLE AS DECISIONS ARE MADE REGARDING CCA’S FUTURE
The Disability Policy Consortium, a leading statewide disability rights and advocacy organization, today demanded a commitment by state regulators and CareSource to include the disability community in decision-making processes as Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) moves forward. CCA is an invaluable community trust that is responsible for ensuring access to health care for 46,000 members. Many of CCA’s members have complex health care needs, which makes CCA a critical component of their wellbeing on a daily basis. Decisions about how CCA will serve members into the future must involve members of the disability community as equal partners.
CCA’s unique model of care and coverage was once the gold standard for serving people with disabilities and elders, especially those with complex health care needs. CCA’s model of care is what set it apart from other health plans and made it a national example. In recent years, CCA shifted its business model and with it, CCA’s commitment to its proven person-centered care model. CCA’s next phase presents an ideal opportunity for this vital organization to return to its roots.
“When CCA was accountable to the disability community in shaping its business model and model of care, it was a nationally recognized exemplar that provided outstanding services to its members,” DPC’s Executive Director Harry Weissman said. “When CCA turned away from that level of member involvement, it failed. Going forward, we are looking forward to helping CCA succeed as it once did, for the benefit of the disability community.”
After news broke in the Boston Globe on Thursday that CCA’s CEO at the time, Chris Palmieri, reached an agreement with the board to receive a $2 million “success fee” for the sale of CCA, DPC and HLA wrote a letter to Palmieri on Friday, April 4, demanding his resignation.
“We are glad to learn that Chris Palmieri did the right thing and accepted the calls for him to resign this week,” said Weissman. “CCA’s transition into this next chapter will be smoother and will better serve its members with this necessary change in leadership.”
State regulators will also play a key role in CCA’s future service to the community, as a public charity, in Massachusetts. They will need to hold CCA accountable and to the high standard that Massachusetts residents deserve. State officials must also involve the disability community as they provide oversight over CCA going forward. This requires transparency, respect, inclusion, and trust.
In recent years, as the quality of CCA’s service to its members has diminished, legal advocates have sounded the alarm for state regulators that CCA enrollees and other MassHealth members with disabilities have faced troubling barriers to care. Going forward, DPC and HLA, with their partners, will strongly advocate for policies to ensure all MassHealth members with disabilities receive the services they are legally entitled to.
“We are now looking forward, to working with CCA and CareSource, as well as state officials, to ensure CCA’s members have full access to the care they need,” said Matt Selig, Executive Director of Health Law Advocates, which is representing DPC regarding CCA’s transition. “We will also work closely with the disability community to ensure these parties are accountable to the community as the difficult work to get CCA back on track moves ahead.”