In January 2018, LESC was the proud recipient of an award from the State of New York to help transform and improve the State’s Medicaid System. LESC used those funds to create the LESC Behavioral Health Care Collaborative (BHCC), an integrated health care network comprised of 20-plus trusted organizations dedicated to coordinating medical and behavioral health care and improving outcomes for vulnerable New Yorkers.
After working successfully to connect individuals with complex behavioral health and medical needs to the comprehensive, high-quality, community-based care they deserved, LESC BHCC became certified as an Independent Practice Association (IPA) and, in February 2020, was renamed Cogency Integrated Healthcare IPA, LLC. Today, Cogency IPA negotiates payer contracts on behalf of its participants, helping them cut costs, increase quality of care, and thrive in a value based reimbursement environment.
“Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York State’s Medicaid system is evolving to provide higher quality healthcare more efficiently. These awards will advance those efforts and further strengthen the collaboration of physical and behavioral health services, which is critical to successfully treating people with substance use disorders who may also be struggling with other emotional or behavioral problems.”