Alabama extends Medicaid management deal with HP

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has signed a $135 million, eight-year technology services contract with the Alabama Medicaid Agency, which oversees the Medicaid program for more than 900,000 state residents.

As Alabama’s fiscal agent, HP will continue to manage the state’s Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). HP implemented interChange, the state's MMIS, in 2008. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) certified Alabama's interChange MMIS earlier this year.

The contract extends the Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP’s 30-year relationship with Alabama’s Medicaid agency. HP processed nearly 32 million Medicaid claims for Alabama healthcare providers in 2009, according to the company.

System enhancements are designed to help the agency meet federal HIPAA regulations. HP said it will upgrade the system’s standard electronic transaction codes from HIPAA 4010 to 5010 and assess the system for changes required to support the new ICD-10 diagnosis code set, the company said. In addition, HP will incorporate e-prescribing into the Alabama MMIS to streamline and secure the prescription process while lowering overhead costs. Providers can access their patients’ full medical histories and send electronic prescriptions directly to pharmacies.

HP will develop a recipient care web portal website where beneficiaries have secure online access to their personal health information, and can check program eligibility and update their information, enabling them to play a more active role in managing their own and their families’ health.

The company will implement a web-based enrollment process for providers to enroll in Medicaid. Also, HP will integrate CMS correct-coding software into the MMIS.

Under the new contract, HP will migrate the agency’s storage to an HP StorageWorks 4400 Enterprise Virtual Array (EVA4400) storage area network Tier-1 environment. The core interchange application server will be migrated to HP-UX with support from the HP Migration Competency Center.

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