Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ark. Gets Federal Extension To Check Income Eligibility Of Medicaid Recipients
Arkansas has been granted a three-month extension, until Dec. 31, to finish checking the incomes of 600,000 Medicaid recipients who have been enrolled for at least a year, the director of the state Department of Human Services said Monday. Human Services Director John Selig told the Legislature's public health committees that the state also is exploring changes, including using additional data sources, to speed up the processing of applications and annual income verifications. (Davis, 10/5)
Arkansas has asked the federal government for permission to change the state’s procedures for checking Medicaid eligibility in the interest of greater efficiency and accuracy, Department of Human Services Director John Selig said Monday. Selig also said the federal government has allowed an extension of the state’s deadline for re-verifying the eligibility of about 600,000 Arkansans enrolled in Medicaid programs, including the private option. Originally set at Oct. 1, the deadline has been moved to Dec. 31. (Lyon, 10/5)
When one of the millions of people enrolled in California’s low-income health program has a complaint or needs help, there’s a number they can call. But for more than a year, that phone line was unreliable — tens of thousands of calls went unanswered. (Guzik, 10/5)
Three losing bidders have filed a protest over the state’s selection of vendors for a multibillion-dollar Medicaid and PeachCare contract. Last month, four companies – Amerigroup, Peach State, WellCare and CareSource — were picked as winners of the contract to serve lower-income adults and children in Georgia. (Miller, 10/5)
Iowa can forge ahead with a quick-moving plan to privatize management of its annual $4.2 billion Medicaid program despite ongoing allegations that nepotism, fraud and inaccuracies played into the state’s selection of for-profit companies to take over the system, a Polk County judge ruled late Friday. Aetna Better Health of Iowa filed a petition last month seeking a court injunction to prohibit the state from signing contracts on Oct. 9 with four companies in line to take over Medicaid management. Aetna wanted to postpone the signings until after questions about the bidding process are resolved. (Clayworth, 10/5)
