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The state's Medicaid cost-reduction program saved $31 million on medical services during the 2013-2014 fiscal year, officials said Monday. The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which administers Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus, said the Accountable Care Collaborative grossed $100 million, more than double the costs cut last fiscal year. After accounting for payments to providers and regional care collaborative organizations, the program's net savings were about $31 million. (Draper, 11/3)

Medicaid enrollment in Kansas grew by a historically low rate in 2013, and it isn’t entirely clear why. An analysis by Kansas Health Institute found the number of children and families enrolled in Medicaid grew by 0.1 percent from 2012 to 2013. Scott Brunner, senior analyst and strategy team leader for coverage and access at KHI, said the normal rate of growth for Medicaid has been about 3 percent. That reflects population growth and the normal “churn” of families moving above and below the income cut-off for Medicaid, he said. (Hart, 11/3)

The Missouri Department of Health's Facilities Review Committee granted a certificate of need for a three-bed urgent care hospital that's part of developer Paul McKee's master plan for the overall project. No one spoke in opposition to granting McKee a certificate of need during the committee's meeting, and the vote in favor was 7-0. The facility is to be built at 25th Street and Maiden Lane. McKee also said he hopes to break ground on the health-care facility by late spring next year. (Griffin, 11/3)

The principal owner of Bauder's Pharmacy is transferring his stake to his sister so the business will remain in their family after he pleads guilty to federal drug charges, his lawyer said Monday. Mark Graziano is expected to plead guilty Thursday to two federal criminal charges related to the disappearance of about 700,000 narcotic painkilling pills from the Des Moines pharmacy. The Ingersoll Avenue store has been in Graziano's family for decades. Its state license was in jeopardy from the Iowa Board of Pharmacy because of allegations related to the diversion of the hydrocodone pills and other alleged problems. But the board voted last week to settle its pending administrative charges against the store if Graziano relinquishes any ownership interest in it within 30 days. (Leys, 11/3)

West Virginia is getting nearly $1.2 million to protect and improve the health of women, children and families across the state. U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller say the funding is being awarded to the West Virginia State Department of Health and Human Resource's Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health. (11/3)