441—88.23 (249A) Enrollment.
	   88.23(1) Enrollment area. Counties in a PHP enrollment area shall be designated as voluntary or mandatory. In voluntary counties, enrollment is not required but eligible recipients may choose to join the PHP. Recipients not excluded in rule 441—88.21(249A) may volunteer to enroll in the PHP. In mandatory counties, enrollment in managed health care is required for eligible recipients.
	   88.23(2) Voluntary enrollment. When only one managed health care option is providing service in a county, enrollment by recipients is voluntary. The department encourages recipients to enroll in a managed health care option. Applicants and recipients are offered the option of managed health care enrollment or regular Medicaid coverage. Applicants and recipients who do not choose one option or the other shall be assigned to a managed health care provider as defined in subrule 88.23(6). These persons shall have the right to request disenrollment at any time as defined in subrule 88.24(3).
Applicants or recipients may designate their choices of providers on a form designated by the managed health care contractor or in writing to or through a verbal request to the managed health care contractor. The form shall be available through the county office, the PHP office, provider offices, the managed health care contractor, or other locations at the department’s discretion. If the PHP (or any entity listed above other than the managed health care contractor) receives the form, it shall be forwarded to the managed health care contractor within three working days.
Recipients shall be accepted by the PHP as they are enrolled by the department unless a maximum limit has been specified in the contract.
Recipients who choose not to enroll in a PHP shall be covered under regular Medicaid.
	   88.23(3) Mandatory enrollment. In a county where the department has a contract with more than one PHP, HMO, or other managed health care provider, the department shall require whenever it is administratively feasible that all eligible recipients enroll with a managed health care provider of their own choosing. Administrative feasibility is determined by whether the managed health care providers have the capacity to adequately serve all potential enrolled recipients. Recipients may enroll by completing the choice form designated by the managed health care contractor, in writing to or through verbal request to the managed health care offices. Recipients may also contact the managed health care contractor by the publicized toll-free telephone number for enrollment assistance.
	   88.23(4) Effective date. The effective date of enrollment shall be no later than the first day of the second month subsequent to the date on which the managed health care contractor receives the form designated by the managed health care contractor.
	   88.23(5) Identification card. The PHP may issue an appropriate identification card to the enrolled recipient or request the department to do so on its behalf. The identification card shall be issued so that the recipient receives it prior to the effective date of enrollment.
	   88.23(6) Assignment methodology. When no choice is made, the recipient shall be systematically assigned to, between, or among the contracting managed health care providers.
	      a.    	  Notification. Recipients who are assigned to a managed health care provider shall receive notification of the assignment and the name of the provider in a timely fashion prior to the effective date of enrollment.
	      b.    	  Limitations. Contracting providers may specify in the contract a limit to the number of recipients who can be assigned under this subrule. If a specified limitation is attained, the remaining assignment needs in that county shall be met by the other managed health care providers who are contracting with the department in that county.
	      c.    	  Household member enrollment. Inasmuch as persons within a household are allowed to make individual decisions about choosing enrollment in managed health care, it is possible that a case may exist where some household members have made a choice and some have not (so that assignment is required). In these instances, a systematic search of household member choices regarding managed health care option shall be completed. Assignment of those who have made no choice shall be made whenever possible to the managed health care provider with whom the first household member is already enrolled.
	      d.    	  Assigned recipients who desire another choice. Recipients who are assigned to a managed health care provider as described in this subrule shall have at least 30 days in which to request enrollment in a different available managed health care plan. The change of plan is subject to provisions in subrules 88.23(4) and 88.24(2) dealing with effective date.