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What is MCAAP? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
It used to be that decisions
about
your health care were
between
you and your doctor...
that's no longer true.
Click here to learn more
LIPC is recruiting MCCAP
volunteers
to act as managed care assistance
program counselors.
Click here to learn more
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MCCAP is the Managed Care Consumer
Assistance Program funded by a grants and member support. The program is one of five pilot programs whose
primary purposes are to:
 Assist health care consumers in resolving problems
with their health care plans
Provide information and outreach to health care consumers
Monitor HMO compliance with the Managed Care
Bill of Rights
Collect data so that systemic issues
and problems are identified
Managed Care Consumer Rights Protections:
It used to be that decisions about your health care were between you
and your doctor, your health insurance company did not interfere; it
just paid the bills. But that’s no longer true. In the new world
of health care – called managed care – your insurance company
often makes health care decisions. They decide whether to approve the
health care procedures and treatments recommended by your health care
provider.
In 1996, to prevent managed care abuses of patients, New York State
passed a law which we call the Managed Care Consumer Bill of Rights.
These laws, and other laws, provide rights and protections to consumer
to improve your access to health care and help you resolve problems
with your health insurance company.
However, most consumer and providers do not yet understand the rights
they are entitled to under these new laws. LIPC will educate consumers and providers about their
managed care rights, and help individuals file grievances under the
law. This project is titled, Managed Care Consumer Assistance Project
(MCCAP). We are going to collect cases of managed care problems so that
we can learn how well the law is working and what else needs to be done
to improve consumer protections.
The Long Island Progressive
Coalition is recruiting MCCAP volunteers to act as managed care assistance
program counselors.
MCCAP will provide improved access to health care by assisting the health
care consumer and their families navigate a system that can often be
complicated and confusing. MCCAP is a free service to health care consumers.
This program will offer assistance with resolving problems related to
HMO’s such as denial of care and how to file an appeal.
The Managed Care Bill of Rights legislation requires health plans to
follow certain definite procedures and time frames, and to send particular
information to consumers whenever care or coverage is denied. The individual
resolution steps differ depending on the type of health insurance coverage
(i.e. Medicaid, Medicare, or Managed Care Organization). In addition,
health care consumers are often unaware of their rights to appeal medical
care and treatment decisions made by their insurance companies.
As a brand new program, MCCAP presents an exciting opportunity for
motivated individuals, who are interested in patient advocacy issues,
to participate in its creation and implementation on a statewide basis.
These positions will provide the opportunity to work directly with the
public, to learn about managed care rights and other community resources
for those in need of health care, and to be a trained staff member of
MCCAP. Volunteers can work out of their homes, but will have access
to meeting areas and office facilities as needed. The Long Island Progressive
Coalition will provide training materials and will be available to assist
with any cases via their toll free number. The time commitment required
of volunteers will depend on the needs of the population served and
the total number of volunteers who chose to join the MCCAP team.
For More Information, Call Maurice Mitchell at 516-541-1006 x16, or
email mccap@lipc.org
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