Winter 2024
Tips for Chasing the Winter Blues
The 2023 holiday season has ended, and we begin a new year filled with fresh hope and new resolutions to be happy and healthy. We’ve gathered some tips from our behavioral health and health care management team and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for managing your mental health.
- Socialize: As you enter the New Year, you may find you have an interest in new activities which can promote good physical and mental health. Social engagement is important to maintaining your overall wellness and as you know, opportunities to help others at the same time are abundant.
- Helping others: Doing something nice for someone else can result in positive emotions, a sense of meaningfulness and value, and new social connections, and it can provide a sense of intrinsic reward. It doesn't have to take a great deal of effort or time, and you can engage your family and/or friends in your efforts.
- Check your feelings: Acknowledging your feelings is the first step to addressing and nurturing them.
- Practice self-care: Treat yourself with kindness and avoid self-criticism. It is also important to schedule time for yourself and activities that recharge your mind and body.
- Taking care of your body: A big part of mental health has to do with your physical health. Make sure you drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet, exercise throughout the week, and get enough sleep.
- Use your coping skills: Stress and anxiety are a natural part of life. Practicing good coping skills can help relieve overwhelming feelings. Take a walk, play with your pet, or even write in a journal. Research also shows that laughter not only boosts your immune system but also relieves pain, relaxes your body, and reduces stress.
- Make a plan: When you feel sad, stressed, or alone: This plan might include calling a friend or family member, going for a walk, participating in an activity that brings joy, or watching a favorite movie. Having a plan helps ensure that difficult moments are more manageable.
Please seek additional support if needed. If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety, please contact your Care Manager. Care Design NY Care Managers received the nationally recognized evidence-based training program, Mental Health First Aid certification. They know the signs to look for and have skills to help develop a plan of action to get individuals the support they need. Click here to learn more. If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
We’d love your ideas on what you are doing this month to bring more joy into the winter months! Click on the button below to send us your thoughts. Wishing you a joy filled 2024!
Ideas for Chasing the Winter Blues
New Report Determines Partners Health Plan’s FIDA-IDD Demonstration Shows
Positive Impact and Progress for Enrollees with Complex Care Needs
BRONX, NY, July 6, 2022— Partners Health Plan (PHP), a nonprofit managed care organization dedicated to serving individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), is pleased to announce that the results of an independent evaluation funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicate positive returns for enrollees in the New York Fully Integrated Duals Advantage for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FIDA-IDD) demonstration.
The FIDA-IDD demonstration is a pilot program established to test the success of delivering services that address the whole person and promote community involvement and independence for people with IDD eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits. According to the findings, PHP is well on its way toward meeting those objectives.
“This is an extremely positive report,” said Kerry Delaney, CEO of PHP, “but also acknowledges in a realistic way the challenges we have faced.” Those challenges stemmed from the newness of managed care for providers in the space, lack of plan coverage awareness for covered entities, and providers’ refusal to participate or offer services to the population just to name a few. Despite these challenges, key findings reflect that if implemented correctly, managed care can be a viable option to serve people with IDD.”
Key Findings:
- Through the comprehensive “It’s All About Me” (I AM) assessment tool, PHP effectively elicited responses from the IDD population about health and wellness needs allowing enrollees to leverage control over benefit options impacting their everyday lives.
- Innovative solutions like the pharmacy management program reduced errors, unnecessary emergency department visits, and length of hospital stays. Similarly, the telehealth program successfully resolved 90% of consultations virtually. The rewards incentive program “Choose Health” also received positive feedback for motivating members to achieve preventive health goals.
- While the new rate payment method has been a challenge to cover certain member populations, like older and frailer members, programs like pharmacy management are viewed as innovative cost-savings strategies.
- Regularly engaging stakeholders from the Participant Advisory Committee helped to address real-time needs, like improvements to transportation services and communications efforts.
One of the best measures of the impact Partners Health Plan has had on member health and experiences comes from the members themselves. PHP FIDA-IDD plan member, Jessica, stated, “Recently I needed special comprehension therapy for my legs and was able to get something to help me at home. This keeps me healthy and helps my ability to walk. I want to keep my independence. I also have support from my Care Manager and my Broker with my self-direction!”
As the agency responsible for the IDD program in New York State, the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) was integral in the demonstration’s design and implementation. “OPWDD has been pleased to collaborate with Partners Health Plan on the FIDA-IDD program, which has offered people an opportunity to coordinate their health and long-term care services in a new and innovative way,” said OPWDD Commissioner Kerri Neifeld. “We look forward to continuing to work with Partners Health Plan and the larger provider community to ensure quality supports and services are available to NYers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
Read the full report here: https://innovation.cms.gov/data-and-reports/2022/fai-ny-fida-idd-prelim-firstsecondevalrpt.
About Partners Health Plan: Partners Health Plan (PHP) is the first-in-the-nation, provider-led managed care organization that fully integrates Medicare and Medicaid for individuals 21 years and older with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), so they have the most complete care package. PHP provides person-centered care for whole-person wellness addressing the physical, behavioral, and social needs of individuals to assist them in living a quality life. The plan operates in 4 New York State regions (nine downstate counties): New York City, Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties), Rockland County, and Westchester County. For more information, visit www.phpcares.org.
About CMS Financial Alignment Initiative: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiatives (FAI) Demonstrations to test in partnership with States integrated care models for dually eligible beneficiaries with the goal to improve care for dually eligible beneficiaries and reduce program costs through an aligned financial and person-centered care coordination structure. A longstanding barrier to coordinating care for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees has been the financial misalignment between Medicare and Medicaid. For more information, visit Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI) | CMS.
