Benefit Design - Special Needs Strategies Example

Even with a generous commercial insurance benefit package, there was a concern that the needs of Connecticut’s children with special healthcare needs would not be adequately accommodated. Connecticut provides a supplemental wraparound package, titled Husky Plus, specifically for children’s special healthcare needs. The supplemental Husky Plus package:

Simultaneously provides benefits from Husky B (Title XXI) and Husky Plus:
- Children are determined to be medically eligible for both plans based on designated screening tools to measure level of impairment.
- In each plan, care coordinators develop a treatment plan in coordination with the primary care provider and the utilization review staff in the Husky B plan.

Established a new plan specifically for children with special behavioral needs which utilizes community providers selected through a RFP process.

Provides care coordination modeled on the existing Title V program. In each plan, care coordinators develop a treatment plan in coordination with the primary care provider and the utilization review staff in the Husky B plan.

Utilizes two Title V centers of excellence as provider sources:
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
- Yale Children’s Hospital.

Utilizes the Title V steering committee as the steering committee for Husky Plus.