Specialty prepaid health plans for Medicaid recipients with HIV or AIDS.

The Agency for Health Care Administration is authorized to contract with specialty prepaid health plans and pay them on a prepaid capitated basis to provide Medicaid benefits to Medicaid-eligible recipients who have human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The agency shall apply for and is authorized to implement federal waivers or other necessary federal authorization to implement the prepaid health plans authorized by this section. The agency shall procure the specialty prepaid health plans through a competitive procurement. In awarding a contract to a managed care plan, the agency shall take into account price, quality, accessibility, linkages to community-based organizations, and the comprehensiveness of the benefit package offered by the plan. The agency may bid the HIV/AIDS specialty plans on a county, regional, or statewide basis. Qualified plans must be licensed under chapter 641. The agency shall monitor and evaluate the implementation of this waiver program if it is approved by the Federal Government. To improve coordination of medical care delivery and to increase cost efficiency for the Medicaid program in treating HIV disease, the Agency for Health Care Administration shall seek all necessary federal waivers to allow participation in the MediPass HIV disease management program for Medicare beneficiaries who test positive for HIV infection and who also qualify for Medicaid benefits such as prescription medications not covered by Medicare.