Medicaid Member Engagement Committee (MMEC)

Agenda

Welcome & Icebreaker

• Roll call
• Meet & Greet
• Icebreaker

Discussion

• Question for all: What is your biggest concern for Medicaid?
• Q&A
• Open Discussion
• Decisions

Next Steps

• Reminder for Next Meeting
•  Annual Agenda

Minutes

Roll Call

• Meeting called to order at: 9:32a
• Roll call of committee members in attendance: 
  • Eldor Scheid
  • Allie Browning
  • Victoria Alexander
  • Kara Hanson
  • Jacqueline Frost
• Members Absent: 
  • Heather Skadsem

Welcome & Icebreaker

Introduction and welcome to the first meeting

• Meet & Greet
• Icebreaker

Discussion

• Question for All: What is your biggest concern with Medicaid?
  • Eldor: The change from county representatives to state workers. When calling in, members do not get the same worker and notes are not summarizing the last call to save the member from repeating information. Appeal experience is not pleasant. Medicaid does not seem responsive. 
  • Kara: Information availability: What does Medicaid cover such as equipment? Increased clarity on covered and non-covered services. 
  • Victoria: The lack of services I am getting such as glasses options, dentist availability, etc. These are my basic needs that are not being met.  
  • Jacqueline: Medicaid is so limiting. The whole picture is not considered. Denials for out-of-state specialist are a large barrier. Specific equipment is not always covered.
  • Allison: The lack of dental, vision, and transportation. There is a lack of providers for transport. Client share is too high to work with.  
• Review E-News
  • Members will review January E-Newsletter and attend the next meeting with notes.
• Q&A
  • Is the website able to search just the Medicaid Member Handbook?
    • Jen to follow up with Communications department.
  • Can a chat box be developed for the website to offer live assistance with navigating the website and answer general Medicaid questions (alternative to calling and experiencing long wait times with call center)?
    • Jen to follow up with Communications department.
  • Can we program the HHS website so that if certain words are searched it will lead to the Medicaid Member Handbook?
    • Jen to follow up with Communications department.
  • How often does the Provider Directory get updated? What are the future plans for these documents with the PCCM program ending?
    • Jen to follow up.
• Open Discussion
  • What are our main focuses?
    • Navigating coverage
      • Increase coverage information
        • What is covered
        • When coverage is allowed
      • Specialist/guide/health care coach to assist members in understanding how to organize complex health care needs:
        • Specialty/complex health care needs: Out-of-state referrals, billing, referrals, covered services, and equipment, appeals, etc. 
        • Help from specialist could be by appointment, with notes, and ability for members to return to the same specialist
        • Initiated in welcome letter and Health Tracks initial contact.
    • Navigating website
      • Chat box for live assistance in website navigation or general Medicaid questions to avoid long wait times when calling into call centers
      • Finding providers, user friendly provider lists
      • Can our searches lead to the Medicaid Member Handbook based on frequently used words (find a dentist, coverage, etc.)?
    • Medicaid coverage 
      • Transportation
      • Reimbursement to driver per person not per ride
      • Coverage for glasses/vision to include transition (no line) bifocal lenses. Allow for Medicaid to cover set cost for frames/lenses and member to choose to pay for remaining cost of frames/lenses they desire. 
  • What are our current tasks?
    • Medicaid Member Handbook review
      • Details on finding a dentist, vision, etc. to include www.insurekidsnow.gov
        • Instructions to ask if provider is currently accepting Medicaid and taking new clients
        • Links to provider lists
    • Medicaid Member E-News review
      Find a person, with limited/no exposure to www.hhs.nd.gov to navigate website to Medicaid information and give honest feedback
• Decision
  • Current focus
    • Navigating coverage
    • Navigating website
    • Medicaid coverage expansion
  • Current tasks
    • Handbook review
    • E-News review
    • Website navigation testing

Next Steps

• Reminder for next meeting
  • May 7, 2024 @ 9:30-11:320a
• Annual agenda
  • March 5, 2024
  • May 7, 2024
  • July 9, 2024
  • September 10, 2024
  • November 5, 2024
• Meeting adjourned
• 10:50

MMEC Meeting Minutes 3/5/24

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ND Medicaid values member and family participation in improving the Medicaid member experience. The Medicaid Member Engagement Committee (MMEC) is a way for members to share their lived experience, give input, and bring positive change to ND Medicaid.

The MMEC is designed to meet the following objectives: 

• Prioritize person and family centeredness, which means we respect and value individual strengths, preferences, and contributions, and work with members, not doing things to or for them.
• Provide opportunities for collaboration between ND Medicaid and members with the goal of improving member experience and the relationship between ND Medicaid and all members.
• Provide a way for ND Medicaid to test if programs, policies, and materials are working as designed and having the desired outcome.

Discussion and recommendations from the MMEC will help guide ND Medicaid and will be shared with the Medicaid Medical Advisory Committee, ND Medicaid Leadership, and ND Department of Health and Human Services Leadership. 

The MMEC will have 12 members. ND Medicaid seeks to have members with different backgrounds, geographical areas, and with different life experiences and situations represented on the MMEC. ND Medicaid encourages all Medicaid members interested in serving on the MMEC to apply. 

Who Should Apply

ND Medicaid encourages current Medicaid members, people who have had Medicaid within the last three (3) years or are caring for a Medicaid member to apply for the MMEC. 

Note: Medicaid Expansion members are not eligible to serve on the MMEC but can share their views on Medicaid Expansion with the Medicaid Expansion Member Advisory Committee. 

Medicaid is also different than Medicare. There are many people who have both Medicare and Medicaid, and we will welcome those members if they have experience with Medicaid. 

How to Join the MMEC

People applying to join the MMEC are called applicants. All applicants will apply to the MMEC by submitting an application. If you need help with the application, you can ask the Member Liaison for help by calling 701-328-8666 or emailing jsheppard@nd.gov 

Selecting a New Member to be on the MMEC

ND Medicaid will review applications and interview selected applicants to ensure membership is diverse and represents the ND Medicaid population.  Applicants will meet with the Member Liaison for a short interview. The Member Liaison will recommend applicants for the MMEC to the Medicaid Director. The Medicaid Director will appoint members to the MMEC.
LEARNING ABOUT THE MMEC
All new members of the MMEC will meet with the Member Liaison. The Member Liaison will review what to expect at MMEC meetings, show individuals how to use technology to participate in MMEC meetings, and go over recent topics discussed at MMEC meetings. 

Membership Terms

The time a member serves on the MMEC is call a term. To start, ND Medicaid will stagger member term length: 
 

• Six members will be asked to serve for one year. This will allow new members to join and have experienced members serve with them. 
• Six members will be asked to serve for two years. This will allow the MMEC to be made of experienced members while welcoming new members.

After the first initial term, all MMEC terms will be 2 years.

Members may serve a second term. If a member wants to serve a second term, they will need to apply and will be evaluated alongside other applications. Members are limited to serving two terms.

Chairperson

A chairperson may be chosen from current MMEC members and will serve a one-year term. The chairperson will: 

• Help the Member Liaison organize and plan meetings,
• Find guests to share information, and 
• Run the meeting. 

Resignation and Removal

Resignation is when a member feels they need to leave the MMEC before their term is ending. If a member cannot be on the MMEC anymore, a seat will be opened.  

Members may be removed from their seat on the MMEC for good cause. Examples of good cause are: 

• Excessive absences from MMEC meetings.
• Misconduct during MMEC meetings.

Benefits

We value our MMEC members! While you are on the committee:

• Medical Services offers members direct access to our resources and staff while they serve their term. Please contact the Member Liaison to learn more.

MMEC members that fulfill their commitment:

• Will be able to ask for a letter of recommendation from our Member Liaison
• Can use the Member Liaison as a professional reference. 

These are helpful when you are applying for a job or other committee-like work.

Release of Information

ND Medicaid may request that members sign a release allowing a picture, the name, and/or basic information about the member to be published on the www.hhs.nd.gov website.

The MMEC will meet online every other month. Meetings will be held by Teams with an option for individuals to join the meeting by phone. Meetings will last no more than 2 hours.

Additional meetings will be held as needed when requested by committee members.

ND Medicaid will publish a yearly schedule for MMEC meetings. The meeting schedule will be posted on the MMEC website. 

Attendance

ND Medicaid encourages members to attend every meeting to the best of their ability. ND Medicaid asks each MMEC member to commit to attending at least 4 meetings a year. If a MMEC member misses more than 3 meetings, ND Medicaid may work with the member to determine if they are able to participate or if another Medicaid member should attend the MMEC in their place.

Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes are notes of what was talked about at a meeting. Minutes will be taken at every meeting. ND Medicaid will summarize topics, suggestions, and follow up on progress. Minutes will be posted on the MMEC website. 

Disability and Other Accommodations

ND Medicaid will assist members with accommodations such as American Sign Language (ASL) translation, captioning, and caregiver participation for members with barriers. ND Medicaid encourages members to tell the Member Liaison about any assistance they will need to attend and participate in the MMEC meetings. 
ND Medicaid will also make accommodations for written or recorded materials presented at meetings such as translation, captions, descriptions of pictures, etc.

ND Medicaid values the feedback of Medicaid members and their families. The MMEC asks members to share their lived experiences with each other and others attending MMEC meetings and give all members a chance to be heard. ND Medicaid asks members of the MMEC to act in good faith with each other and agree to a set of guidelines for how the MMEC will interact with each other. This includes being honest and not doing things that will harm the MMEC. It also includes behavior outside of meetings. Expectations include:

• Members should try to attend and actively participate in all meetings. If members cannot attend a meeting, they are requested to advise the ND Medicaid Member Liaison. After missing a meeting, the member should plan to meet with Member Liaison to go over what happened at the meeting.
• Members agree to be respectful of other MMEC members, ND Medicaid staff, and other presenters. They will listen to each other and seek to understand the other’s perspectives, even if they disagree.
• Members agree to make every effort to share their feedback and experience and bring forward any concerns. 
• Members agree to refrain from personal attacks, purposefully harming the MMEC, and publicly criticizing or mis-stating information shared by other MMEC members during the meeting.
• Any written communications, including emails, blogs, and other social networking media (Ex. Facebook, Instagram), will follow these same guidelines and will maintain a respectful tone even if highlighting different opinions.

Member Liaison
Jen Sheppard
jsheppard@nd.gov | 701-328-8666

Alternative Contact
Mandy Dendy
mrdendy@nd.gov

The MMEC Guidelines inform members of this committee's purpose, how our meetings are held, and what membership looks like.