Still no date for transfer of DCFS youths to managed care

No date has been set for when the state will transfer thousands of children under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services to Medicaid managed care.

Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Deputy Administrator of Care Coordination Robert Mendonsa told a subcommittee of the Medicaid Advisory Committee Thursday morning that they still plan to go forward with the transfer. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed back the plan indefinitely.

“We’re still planning on moving forward, we just do not have a firm date at this point,” he said.

The rollout date has moved several times. It was most recently scheduled to start on April 1. However, that date was pushed back in March due to the pandemic, with officials saying at the time they would announce a new transition date “as soon as possible.”

Former youths in care, or those under the age of 21 who have been adopted, emancipated from the state agency or recently reunited with their families, were shifted into managed care plans in February.

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