New York re-ups Maximus for health care enrollment

Maximus Inc. has won a $59.7 million contract extension from the New York Department of Health to continue to operate the state's Medicaid Choice project, the company announced Nov. 8.


The contract, which was registered by the state comptroller, will extend through June 30, 2004. Under the contract, Maximus of Reston, Va., will continue to operate the managed care education and enrollment program of New York state, known as New York Medicaid Choice.

As the state's enrollment agent, Maximus helps about 2 million Medicaid consumers in New York and Long Island select and enroll in a managed care plan.


Maximus maintains a toll-free call center, develops and produces written and media material and provides group and one-to-one educational counseling in several different languages.


In addition, Maximus will manage the enrollment of New York's uninsured adults into the Family Health Plus program.


Maximus operates similar health care education and enrollment services in California, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.


The goal of the New York Choice program is to improve health care status of Medicaid recipients through the delivery of personalized services and preventative programs that are offered by managed care.


Maximus Inc. provides state and local governments with program management, consulting and information technology services. The company has more than 5,600 employees and annual sales of $487.3 million, according to Hoover's Online of Austin, Texas.