7. a. A managed care organization that has contracted with the department may voluntarily seek participation in the demonstration project by notifying the Medicaid ACO of its desire to participate. The ACO shall submit a separate Medicaid managed care organization gainsharing plan meeting the requirements of section 5 of this act to the department for review and approval. The Medicaid managed care organization gainsharing plan may be identical to the gainsharing plan approved for use in connection with the Medicaid fee-for-service program, or may contain variations with respect to the manner in which health outcomes, quality, care coordination, and access are to be improved and the manner in which cost savings are achieved and distributed as gainsharing payments, but the managed care organization gainsharing plan shall not affect the calculation or distribution of shared savings pursuant to the approved gainsharing plan applicable to the Medicaid fee-for-service program or the calculation or distribution of shared savings pursuant to any other approved gainsharing plan used by the ACO.

b. A Medicaid managed care organization may withdraw from participation after one year by notifying the department in writing of its desire to withdraw.

c. Nothing in this act shall:

(1) alter or limit the obligations of a Medicaid managed care organization participating in the demonstration project pursuant to an approved gainsharing plan to comply with State and federal law applicable to the Medicaid managed care organization; or

(2) preclude an ACO from expanding its operations to include participation with new health care providers located within the ACO’s designated area.

L.2011, c.114, s.7.