‘Turquoise Care’ Medicaid program opens enrollment

Open enrollment has started for New Mexico’s revamped Medicaid program.

The state’s bulked-up “Turquoise Care” program, a reimagined program that includes food and housing initiatives as well as health care, will roll out in full this summer. Starting July 1, it will replace the old Centennial Care program.

Turquoise Care open enrollment for current managed-care organization patients started Monday and will stay open until May 31, according to a news release from the state Human Services Department.

Medicaid managed-care organizations are insurance companies that contract with the state to organize and manage benefits for enrolled Medicaid patients. New Mexico’s four managed-care organizations under Turquoise Care will be Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, Presbyterian Turquoise Care and United Healthcare Community Plan of New Mexico.

Medicaid patients enrolled with Presbyterian Health Plan and BlueCross and BlueShield of New Mexico will be automatically reenrolled in their existing plans if they do not select a different managed care organization, the release said. Customers of Western Sky Community Care, meanwhile, can either choose a new health plan or will be reassigned to another managed-care organization. Western Sky Community Care is exiting as a managed-care organization after it wasn’t selected in a fraught procurement process last year.

The state and the current managed-care organizations will host public events to help Medicaid patients navigate their new options, including one at the Southside Branch Library in Santa Fe on Thursday.

Managed-care organization patients should also receive an information packet in the coming months, the release said. The packet will be in a yellow envelope and will contain people’s health plan options.