Vaya Health outlines local membership, program changes and funding risks for Avery County
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Summary
A Vaya Health representative told the Avery County commissioners that, as of June 10, 995 county residents were enrolled across Medicaid direct and the Taylor Plan, described the end of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot and transition of a foster-care specialty plan to Blue Cross, and warned of proposed state budget reductions that could cut local service funding.
A Vaya Health representative briefed the Avery County Board of Commissioners on county-specific Medicaid enrollment, program transitions and potential funding cuts.
The presenter said Vaya is a "public managed care organization that prioritizes whole person health" and that the "Taylor plan" model began July 1. County-specific enrollment figures reported were 683 people on Medicaid direct and 312 on the Taylor Plan for a combined total of 995 members as of June 10. The presenter said Daymark is the county's largest behavioral-health provider by membership.
The speaker flagged several program changes that may affect services: funding for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) ceased July 1, and the state budget as proposed includes no new Innovations waiver slots. The representative said Innovations waiver slots — described as high-intensity services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — remain limited and that registries include people waiting many years.
On children’s services, the presenter said the state carved the child-and-family specialty plan out of the Taylor Plan; starting Dec. 1, foster-care services presently served by Vaya will transition to a statewide vendor, Blue Cross, which will serve all 100 counties. Staff said Vaya will coordinate with county DSS offices to ease the transition.
The presenter also warned that the general-assembly budget remained unsettled; he cited competing figures discussed in the meeting (a $30 million Senate reduction vs. a $15 million House figure) and said a $30 million statewide reduction could cut Vaya Health funding by roughly $6 million. He described those potential cuts as a risk to services rather than administration.
The update included outreach and recovery work after the recent hurricane, including a ‘‘Hope for NC’’ outreach effort and a helpline; staff said Vaya hired employees to help affected residents connect with resources. The representative closed by inviting questions and offering to provide additional data in follow-up materials.
The board did not vote on policy during the presentation; commissioners asked clarifying questions but no formal action was taken.
