FALLS CHURCH, VA – The Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority has awarded a contract to Cognosante, LLC to provide Exchange Assister and Navigator services in support of the Commonwealth’s newly formed state-based health insurance marketplace named Pennie. Under the contract, Cognosante and its teaming partners will provide outreach and no-cost enrollment assistance across Pennsylvania to individuals and families seeking health insurance coverage.
For plan year 2021, Pennsylvania is transitioning from HealthCare.gov to its own state-based health insurance marketplace, Pennie. Pennie aims to improve the accessibility and affordability of individual market health coverage for Pennsylvanians and will be live at the beginning of the 2021 Open Enrollment Period which runs from November 1, 2020 through January 15, 2021.
“This contract is further proof of Cognosante’s steadfast commitment to delivering solutions that help improve access to lower-cost, high-quality health coverage for Americans,” says Michele Kang, Founder and CEO of Cognosante.
With its extensive background supporting HealthCare.gov, and strong project management and technology expertise, Cognosante will lead the team with a focus on the historically hard-to-reach, underserved, and uninsured populations within the Commonwealth using data-driven outreach practices. Cognosante has partnered with four Pennsylvania organizations, including three small, diverse businesses, resulting in a strong delivery team.
The Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) – a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Navigator grantee since 2013, brings a coordinated, statewide approach, engaging more than 300 health center sites across Pennsylvania who will offer enrollment assistance to consumers in rural and urban communities. PACHC President & CEO, Cheri Rinehart, says in response to the award, “PACHC is delighted to partner with Cognosante to continue to play a role in ensuring that more people gain the security of health coverage. It was important before the pandemic and the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 have made it even more important now.”
DynaVet Solutions, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, will support the team’s program performance reporting and offer objective recommendations for continuous improvement of outreach activities. Latino Connection, a State-certified Minority Business Enterprise, is a strategic communications firm that will bring extensive outreach experience to Pennsylvania’s diverse populations through outreach and enrollment events. Luminous Strategies, also a State-certified Minority Business Enterprise, is a prominent advocacy and public affairs firm that will develop and maintain Exchange Assister training and support enrollment events.
“We are thrilled for this collaboration and what it means for Pennsylvanians in need of enrollment assistance this fall during Open Enrollment,” said Zachary W. Sherman, Executive Director of Pennie. “Cognosante and their trusted partners have proven Exchange Assister experience, with established and diverse networks in communities across the Commonwealth. In a year when so many Pennsylvanians are in need of support and the security health coverage provides, we are pleased to be joining forces with trusted partners who can hit the ground running.”
“We are excited to partner with such a broad range of local experts who understand the uniqueness of Pennsylvania residents’ needs and who fully grasp the importance of state-based healthcare delivery. This diverse team composition positions us well to support Pennsylvania in its transition journey,” said Karen Gage, General Manager of Cognosante’s State Solutions Business Unit.
Individuals seeking primary care and/or information on enrollment assistance are welcome to find their local community health center through the Find a Health Center link on the PACHC website, http://www.pachc.org, or by calling PACHC’s tollfree hotline at 1-866-944-CARE (1-866-944-2273).
About Cognosante Cognosante provides technology solutions and business process outsourcing to federal, state, and local government health and human services agencies. The company has more than a decade of experience working with states and the Federal government, developing, managing, and executing large, complex health information programs. Its expertise includes Medicaid, Medicare, military and Veterans health, the health insurance marketplace, data standards and analytics, and modular system development and integration. Visit https://cognosante.wpengine.com for more information. # # #
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