MAXIMUS signs new contract to provide support services for California's health insurance exchange

MAXIMUS (NYSE: MMS), a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced that it has signed a new contract with the California Health Benefit Exchange to provide support services for the state's health insurance exchange, known as Covered California. Under the scope of the contract, MAXIMUS will develop a curriculum and provide training to Covered California staff and other stakeholders, as well as provide readability assessments for all outreach and informational materials for the health insurance exchange program. The 13-month contract is valued at $7 million, commences on June 1, 2013, and runs through June 30, 2014.

Under the training component of the contract, MAXIMUS will offer curriculum development and training for approximately 850 service center staff, and provide train-the-trainer services for other audiences, such as the county eligibility workers, plan enrollers and other external partners of Covered California.

Under the materials, on-line application, and website assessment component of the contract, the MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy (CHL) will conduct internal and external focus groups to analyze and assess the readability of program materials. The CHL will also conduct readability reviews and recommend edits and format changes for all outreach and educational materials developed for the public, as well as outgoing correspondence, notices and letters, forms, and other program communications. The CHL will draw on its extensive expertise in developing easy-to-read print materials and easy-to-use websites that allow governments and public health services organizations to communicate effectively with their consumers.

"As a leading operator of customer contact centers, as well as a long-standing administrative partner to California's Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and Pre-Existing Condition programs, we see this latest contract award as an opportunity to support the state in its efforts to ensure that Californians continue to receive quality customer service in accessing information about public health insurance, as well as informative and helpful program materials," said Bruce Caswell, President and General Manager of Health Services at MAXIMUS.