APIPA and Phoenix Children’s Hospital Contract to Provide Services To Arizona Children Enrolled in CRS and AHCCCS

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arizona Physicians IPA (APIPA) and Phoenix Children’s Hospital today announced an agreement that will provide beneficiaries of the Children’s Rehabilitative Services (CRS) program with access to the hospital’s services, effective immediately.

“This is an important agreement, one that improves access to care for patients with complex conditions that require the very best pediatric specialists and sub-specialists. We are very excited to provide these families with the highly specialized, inpatient, outpatient and emergency services they’ve been asking for.”

Bill Hagan, CEO of APIPA, said “We are pleased that CRS members and their families will have access to the inpatient and outpatient hospital services provided by Phoenix Children’s Hospital. This agreement furthers our organizations’ mutual commitment to care for children with special health care needs and expands the range of choices available to families in the CRS program.”

Bob Meyer, President and CEO of Phoenix Children’s Hospital, agreed, stating, “This is an important agreement, one that improves access to care for patients with complex conditions that require the very best pediatric specialists and sub-specialists. We are very excited to provide these families with the highly specialized, inpatient, outpatient and emergency services they’ve been asking for.”

Joan Agostinelli, Administrator of the CRS program at the Arizona Department of Health Services, said, “We are pleased that CRS members will now have access to hospital services at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. ADHS looks forward to working with both APIPA and Phoenix Children’s Hospital in continually improving the system of care for children and youth with special health care needs.”

APIPA was awarded a contract by the State to manage the CRS program beginning October 1 and serves approximately 18,000 children with qualifying CRS medical conditions.

The agreement also continues the existing partnership between APIPA and Phoenix Children’s Hospital to provide hospital services to members of the AHCCCS Acute Care program.

About APIPA

APIPA, a unit of AmeriChoice, a UnitedHealth Group company, has served the needs of medically underserved Arizonans since 1982, including beneficiaries of the State’s AHCCCS program and other government sponsored programs such as the Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans, developmentally disabled, premium share and Medicaid in the Public Schools. APIPA currently serves nearly 200,000 AHCCCS members, many with unique or complex health conditions. In addition, it has 14,200 Medicare Special Needs Plan members and more than 9,600 Developmentally Disabled (DD) individuals through its contract with the Arizona Department of Economic Security/Division of Developmentally Disabled. Through the Arizona Department of Health’s CRS program, APIPA serves approximately 18,000 children with qualifying CRS medical conditions.

About Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Phoenix Children's Hospital has provided health care for children and families for 25 years. Today, Phoenix Children's is one of the ten largest children's hospitals in the country and provides specialty and sub-specialty inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care to patients throughout Arizona and other Southwestern states.

About Children’s Rehabilitative Services

The Children’s Rehabilitative Services program (CRS) is administered by the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs (OCSHCN). The mission of CRS is to improve the quality of life for children and youths up to age 21 with special health care needs by providing family-centered medical treatment, rehabilitation and related support services.