The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Medical Services (BMS) today announced Palco, a financial management services (FMS) company, will provide FMS, fiscal employer/agent services, and resource consulting services to West Virginia Medicaid recipients receiving support services at home or in community-based settings, effective April 1, 2024.

Palco will serve DoHS’s Personal Options program across three of BMS’s waiver programs, which provide supports to more than 4,900 individuals in West Virginia. Replacing the existing vendor, Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), means that recipients and their workers will be working with new customer service and other staff, and switching to Palco’s web portal and smartphone app for submitting and reviewing time cards and monitoring budgets. However, there will be no change in the types or amounts of services that recipients receive.

“West Virginia’s self-directed service model has been highly successful and cost effective for members who receive Home and Community-Based Services,” said Cindy Beane, DoHS Bureau for Medical Services Commissioner. “We look forward to working with Palco to continue to grow and improve self-directed services for Medicaid beneficiaries.”

DoHS is working with Palco to launch an accessible informational campaign online, by mail, and in-person for those involved with the Personal Options program. The campaign will introduce participants and employers and their workers and vendors to Palco and prepare them for the upcoming transition, as well as inform them about new tools and features. 

“Palco is excited to work with the state of West Virginia to expand its national footprint in the self-direction industry,” said Alicia Paladina, Palco Chief Executive Officer. “Being selected as the only FMS vendor in West Virginia allows us to continue our mission of empowering independence for as many individuals as possible across the United States. We are eager to work with the state to help those individuals in need.”

DoHS’s BMS is working with both vendors during the transition period to ensure recipients have no interruption in services and workers continue to receive accurate and timely payments. From now through the transition, individuals who self-direct their care will continue using their current FMS. The transition should not impact a person’s plan of care, case manager, budget, caregivers’ rate of pay, or services. For more information about Palco and the transition, visit palcofirst.com/west-virginia/.​