This session will discuss an innovative approach for overcoming barriers often associated with providing care for underserved populations, such as Medicaid populations. The presentation will be based on the experience of a Massachusetts Medicaid and Low-Cost Insurance Health Plan, faced with improving wellness and health outcomes for a diverse population while, at the same time, demonstrating an ability to reduce costs.

An integrative medical-behavioral health strategy for providing services, as well as addressing members’ needs, shapes the basis of programs and initiatives directed at increasing adherence to care plans, reducing utilization of emergency departments and urgent care centers, and improving overall health. Also critical to the success of this creative method is developing partnerships with community agencies and other local resources to ensure that, as much as possible, needs are met. Utilizing these and other techniques, we are able to prioritize needs and address them, based upon the prioritization, thereby improving members’ ability to participate in their care and wellness plans.

The key points to be addressed are:

• Barriers to participating in self-care and wellness plans for an underserved population;


• Reasons for increased utilization of emergency departments and urgent care centers;


• Benefits of an integrated medical-behavioral health approach to providing services; and


• Successes in partnering with local and community resources.

You will learn the barriers of participation in self-care and wellness plans for underserved populations; discuss reasons for increased use of both the emergency departments and urgent care centers; and how to develop innovative case management strategies for challenging areas of practice.