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Two companies have appealed an administrative law judge’s recommendation that Iowa throw out one of the four contracts behind a controversial plan to privatize the state’s Medicaid program, documents filed this week with the state show. WellCare, the company that Judge Christie Scase last week recommend should lose its state contract because of an unfair public bidding process, is asking the state to disregard the judge’s proposal. (Clayworth, 12/2)

Three of Iowa’s biggest hospital-and-clinic systems have signed contracts to provide care to patients who will be enrolled in new Medicaid managed-care programs, Gov. Terry Branstad’s office announced Thursday. UnityPoint Health, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Genesis Health System all have signed such contracts, Branstad said. The news comes amid concern that Medicaid patients would have few choices of health care providers when the new system is to take effect Jan. 1. (Leys, 12/3)

A former Kansas Medicaid director has authored a paper proposing ways to streamline Medicaid programs that he says are too fragmented in many states. Andy Allison, who also previously ran the Arkansas Medicaid program, presented the paper last month at a conference of state Medicaid directors. Medicaid is public health coverage jointly funded by federal and state governments that serves Americans with disabilities, low-income children and pregnant women, and some adults with low incomes who lack private insurance. (Marso, 12/3)

The CMS has finalized a rule to permanently retain funding that helps states upgrade the technology they need to allow their residents to enroll in Medicaid. Nearly 25% of states are looking to modernize their aging, often very state-specific technology systems, many of which have experienced the stress of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. (Dickson, 12/3)