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DVHA pursues MMIS replacement and integrated eligibility procurement; call center vendor retained at higher cost
Summary
DVHA told the House Appropriations Committee it is modernizing Medicaid systems with an MMIS amendment and a planned integrated eligibility and enrollment procurement, and that the state retained its call-center vendor Maximus under a more costly contract beginning July 2025.
Department of Vermont Health Access officials told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 12 that the agency is moving forward on modernization of Medicaid information systems and integrated eligibility tools and that these changes included a contract amendment and funding switches to maximize federal match.
Deshaun Burrows described several elements of the agency’s IT work: a Medicaid data warehouse and analytical solution already implemented, a Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) amendment with a FY26 cost beginning in July (agency materials listed an MMIS amendment at $816,000 gross with $129,000 general fund), and a forthcoming integrated eligibility and enrollment procurement intended to modernize eligibility/ enrollment across agencies. “The goal there is to modernize and integrate and leveraging a configurable interoperable system that can be compliant with CMS,” Burrows said.
Stephanie Barrett told lawmakers the agency is using Advanced Planning Documents (APDs) where appropriate to obtain higher federal-match rates (e.g., 90/10 for implementation projects) and to avoid blended match for activities that are purely Medicaid. She said the agency and the state’s Agency of Digital Services coordinate to place the Medicaid-only pieces in the appropriate APDs.
DVHA also confirmed the call-center procurement for eligibility and enrollment preserved the incumbent vendor, Maximus, but at an increased cost that will take effect July 2025. “We ended up choosing the same vendor that we have had for years and years…It just costs more,” Barrett said.
Supporting details: - MMIS contract amendment: FY26 cost beginning in July estimated in agency materials at $816,000 gross, $129,000 general fund (presentation figure provided by DVHA). - Integrated eligibility procurement: agency said procurement is underway and bids are being received; no final completion date was given in testimony. - Call center vendor: Maximus retained with a new agreement that increases cost starting in July 2025. - Funding approach: DVHA described use of Implementation APDs to obtain higher federal match rates where development/implementation are purely Medicaid functions.
Ending: DVHA said modernization work aims to improve data sharing and operational efficiency with other Vermont agencies and providers. The agency did not provide a final timeline for integrated eligibility completion and said federal matching rules govern how projects are budgeted and placed in APDs.
