This week, our In Focus section reviews the Florida Statewide Medicaid Prepaid Dental Program invitation to negotiate (ITN) released October 6, 2023, by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Contracts will serve 4.4 million Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) members.
Background
The Florida Statewide Medicaid Prepaid Dental Program is a full-risk capitated dental program, which began rolling out by groups of regions in December 2018. The incumbent statewide Medicaid dental plans are DentaQuest, Liberty, and MCNA Dental.
Florida also is reprocuring its traditional managed medical assistance (MMA) program and managed long-term care program under SMMC. Awards for Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are expected in February 2024.
ITN
Florida intends to award contracts to at least two plans. One of AHCA’s goals is to contract with plans that will support the HOPE Florida: Pathways to Prosperity initiative, which focuses on community collaboration between the private sector, faith-based community, not-for-profits, and government entities to break down traditional community silos. Through this program, AHCA seeks to:
- Improve oral health outcomes by implementing a quality continuum
- Enable personalized oral healthcare, particularly for people with special needs
- Strengthen the network of dental providers
- Integrate medical and dental care
In addition to the services currently provided, dental plans will cover authorized hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) services as part of the new contracts. Plans will cover ancillary medical services provided secondarily to dental care in an ASC or outpatient hospital setting when medically necessary.
Dental plans will continue to operate statewide across all regions. Capitation rates for Medicaid and dually eligible members, however, are set regionally. Rates for medically necessary procedures are set at a statewide level. The new contracts will consolidate the 11 regions into nine as shown in the table below.
Timeline
Responses are due January 5, 2024, and notification of intent to award is anticipated to be released on March 29, 2024. Contracts will run from the execution date in 2024 through 2030.
Evaluation
Technical proposals will be scored using a total weighted score of 6,600, as shown in the table below.
