§ 398-b. Transition to managed care. 1. Notwithstanding any
inconsistent provision of law to the contrary and subject to the
availability of federal financial participation, the commissioner is
authorized to make grants up to a gross amount of five million dollars
for state fiscal year two thousand fourteen--fifteen and up to a gross
amount of fifteen million dollars for state fiscal year two thousand
fifteen--sixteen to facilitate the transition of foster care children
placed with voluntary foster care agencies to managed care. The use of
such funds may include providing training and consulting services to
voluntary agencies to assess readiness and make necessary infrastructure
and organizational modifications, collecting service utilization and
other data from voluntary agencies and other entities, and making
investments in health information technology, including the
infrastructure necessary to establish and maintain electronic health
records. Such funds shall be distributed pursuant to a formula to be
developed by the commissioner of health, in consultation with the
commissioner of the office of children and family services. In
developing such formula the commissioners may take into account size and
scope of provider operations as a factor relevant to eligibility for
such funds. Each recipient of such funds shall be required to document
and demonstrate the effective use of funds distributed herein. If
federal financial participation is unavailable, then the nonfederal
share of payments pursuant to this subdivision may be made as state
grants.

2. Data provided by voluntary foster care agencies shall be compliant
with the health insurance portability and accountability act, and shall
be transmitted securely using eMEDS or other mechanism to be determined
by the department of health. Such data may be used by the department of
health to establish rates of payment for managed care organizations for
services provided to children in foster care. In establishing such rates
the commissioner of health shall also take into account care
coordination services that will continue to be provided by the voluntary
foster care agencies.

3. The commissioner of health shall issue a report to be made public
on the department of health's website. Such report shall conform to the
requirements of subdivision five of section ninety-two of part H of
chapter fifty-nine of the laws of two thousand eleven.