The Health Services Department is requesting to add five permanent full-time positions in order to staff and implement the new Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Benefit Program within Contra Costa Health Plan. Currently, there are 100,000 members who are eligible for non-emergency medical transportation benefits and the unit is already experiencing backlogs in processing requests and delays in payment. Although staff has been working overtime, the workload continues to be voluminous. Moreover, the number of eligible members will significantly increase to 200,000 as the benefit is extended to all Health Plan Medi-Cal Population starting July 1, 2017.   
  
The requested positions will meet the demand of the program operations and provide effective services to members. The Health Plan Authorization Representative will be responsible for obtaining and maintaining all necessary documentation required to process referrals and requests in the EPIC system. The Health Plan Member Services Counselors will be responsible for educating enrollees and explaining the program benefits; and the Clerks will be responsible for organizing and mailing transportation benefit information packets to members. Staff will be reporting to the Utilization Review Manager in the Cooperative Case Management Unit.

If this action is not approved, the Contra Costa Health Plan will not have adequate staff to implement the new Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Benefit Program which may adversely impact patient care services.