Health News
- Medicaid Managed-care Firms Get New Contracts With New Rules Aimed At Resolving Health-care Providers' Issues With Program
Kentucky has signed new contracts with five managed-care firms that will manage Medicaid coverage for more than 1.1 million Kentuckians. Contracts were awarded to Anthem, Coventry Cares, Humana, Passport and Wellcare. Kentucky changed Medicaid to managed...
- Lawmakers Hear More Complaints About Managed Care
Patients with mental illness are being denied medication, forced to try cheaper drugs that have already been proven not to work for the patient, or not getting them in time because of delays in approval. These were some of the complaints of the state's...
- Legislators Hear About Serious Problems In Managed-care System
The switch to the new Medicaid managed-care system is proving to be a nightmare, health officials told lawmakers Wednesday, with long delays in payment to providers and treatment for patients. "It appears to me the only place the savings can come from...
- Responding To Complaints About New Managed-care Companies, State Auditor Asks For Claims Data; Lawmakers Threaten Subpoena
With complaints piling up about the three Medicaid managed-care companies that coordinate care for 560,000 poor and disabled Kentuckians, lawmakers and officials are taking action to get to the bottom of the situation. After health providers complained...
- More Complaints Lodged About Medicaid Managed Care; Lawmakers Demand Answers
Complaints continue to pile up about the state's new Medicaid managed care plans, which cover about 560,000 Kentuckians. Lawmakers are hearing gripes from providers who say they are not getting paid, and from patients and clinics who say the three...
Health News
Managed-care executives acknowledge problems, say they're trying to fix them
Executives of three managed-care companies who run most of the state's Medicaid program told a legislative committee yesterday that they are aware of "significant problems" with their management since they took over in November, and they are "committed to fixing them," reports Deborah Yetter of The Courier-Journal. Health-care providers have complained to lawmakers for months about late payments, claims processing and battles over new rules requiring "pre-authorization" to guarantee payment. The executives said they're meeting with providers to solve the problems.
Health care providers implied last week during testimony that the companies were withholding payments to "maximize their profits," Yetter notes. All three executives denied the claim, saying they have to pay interest on payments delayed more than 30 days. They said some late payments "weren't getting past billing clearinghouses" that many health-care providers use to process Medicaid claims. Claims have been delayed in those facilities for a number of reasons, the executives said, including new billing requirements under managed care. They said they are working to identify and pay those claims. (Read more)
Health care providers implied last week during testimony that the companies were withholding payments to "maximize their profits," Yetter notes. All three executives denied the claim, saying they have to pay interest on payments delayed more than 30 days. They said some late payments "weren't getting past billing clearinghouses" that many health-care providers use to process Medicaid claims. Claims have been delayed in those facilities for a number of reasons, the executives said, including new billing requirements under managed care. They said they are working to identify and pay those claims. (Read more)
- Medicaid Managed-care Firms Get New Contracts With New Rules Aimed At Resolving Health-care Providers' Issues With Program
Kentucky has signed new contracts with five managed-care firms that will manage Medicaid coverage for more than 1.1 million Kentuckians. Contracts were awarded to Anthem, Coventry Cares, Humana, Passport and Wellcare. Kentucky changed Medicaid to managed...
- Lawmakers Hear More Complaints About Managed Care
Patients with mental illness are being denied medication, forced to try cheaper drugs that have already been proven not to work for the patient, or not getting them in time because of delays in approval. These were some of the complaints of the state's...
- Legislators Hear About Serious Problems In Managed-care System
The switch to the new Medicaid managed-care system is proving to be a nightmare, health officials told lawmakers Wednesday, with long delays in payment to providers and treatment for patients. "It appears to me the only place the savings can come from...
- Responding To Complaints About New Managed-care Companies, State Auditor Asks For Claims Data; Lawmakers Threaten Subpoena
With complaints piling up about the three Medicaid managed-care companies that coordinate care for 560,000 poor and disabled Kentuckians, lawmakers and officials are taking action to get to the bottom of the situation. After health providers complained...
- More Complaints Lodged About Medicaid Managed Care; Lawmakers Demand Answers
Complaints continue to pile up about the state's new Medicaid managed care plans, which cover about 560,000 Kentuckians. Lawmakers are hearing gripes from providers who say they are not getting paid, and from patients and clinics who say the three...