Hi, several of you have called about an error that involved NYLcare and Medicare switched mailing lists for 2000 employees. The following is the Department response. Please call if you have any questions. I am impressed that the department was honest and quickly addressed the situation.

From: Santos, Palmira

To: Martz, Karen E.; Labbe, Bob B.

Cc: Green, Linda G.; Donek, Chris; Super, Randy

Subject: Telephone Triage Mailing Error

Date: Monday, March 23, 1998 5:08PM

Priority: High

Background: As you are aware we do large mailings to the consumers encouraging them to use the nurse triage service. The data base we use for these mailings comes directly from First Health. Also, after a beneficiary uses the service we send them a letter thanking them and let them know they should call Linda Green, RN if they have any questions or concerns about this service. The data based used for this mailing comes from CareWise our contractor. Several weeks ago they sent us the names, addresses, ss#s, and dates of calls for our beneficiaries using the service so that we could send them the user letter and make our data pull for the program evaluation.

Error: For reasons that are still under investigation they sent us about 2000 names of users from another contract (AlaskCare) not our Medicaid beneficiaries. These individual received a user letter from us. Since Friday we have received telephone calls from some confused and some angry individuals. Linda Green has spoken to most of these folks and even the angry ones are some what comforted when they hear the correction plan which is outlined below.

Correction:

• CareWise has confirmed and owned up to the error and stated that they have no excuse.
• They have notified NYE care of the error and are working with their Medical Director.
• CareWise will send us the correct data base via Fed Express today.
• They will deduct our full cost of the incorrect mailing from our next invoice.
• Anyone who calls us with concerns about the letter are given direct access to CareWise via their toll free consumer service number.
• We are returning the data base to CareWise.
• Everyone that has called us is receiving a call from CareWise apologizing for the error. Care Wise will be writing to all the folks that received the letter apologizing for the mistake and taking full responsibility for it. We will be reviewing this letter. The first draft states the following, " Recently you received a letter from the State Of Alaska Dept. of Health & Social Services thanking you for using their Call-the-Nurse program. This letter was sent to you in error due to an incorrect mailing list provided by CareWise. " It also states "The State of Alaska had no involvement in the generation of this inaccurate mailing list: and the error lies solely with CareWise." The letter also reassures folks that their names and addressed where only given and that no medical information was given and that we are returning the incorrect mailing list.

I will update folks on this situation as it changes.