Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kansas Rejects Aetna's Plan To Correct Problems With Its Private Medicaid Services
Kansas City Star: Kansas Tells Aetna It Needs A Better KanCare Improvement Plan
A Kansas Medicaid contractor facing allegations that it’s not living up to the terms of its $1 billion a year contract insists it’s doing better. The state says the company still isn’t doing well enough. (Shorman, 8/13)
KCUR: Kansas Medicaid Insurer Aetna On Even Thinner Ice With State Officials
Aetna provides health insurance to around 100,000 Kansans under KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid system. It’s one of three companies with contracts to do so, and replaced one of the previous insurers in January. ... Complaints against Aetna include that the company doesn’t reimburse correctly or on time. Providers say they sometimes don’t get paid because Aetna demands advance permission for certain basic procedures. They also complain that the company hasn’t put together a complete directory of physicians and specialists that it covers. (Llopis-Jepsen, 8/13)
The Associated Press: Kansas Says Aetna Still Not Living Up To Contract Terms
The Kansas health department says insurance company Aetna is still not living up to the terms of its $1 billion contract with the state’s Medicaid program. The Wichita Eagle reports that the state has rejected a corrective action plan Aetna submitted in response to a non-compliance letter Kansas sent it last month. (8/13)
The Associated Press: Louisiana Health Leaders Defend Medicaid Contract Decisions
Louisiana health department leaders Tuesday defended new Medicaid managed care contracts and tried to reassure lawmakers that health plan changes won’t disrupt patient access to services, even as legal disputes threaten to create further complications. More than a half-million Medicaid recipients will have to transfer to new health plans under the contract changes. (DeSlatte, 8/13)
Concord Monitor: Telemedicine Now Covered By N.H. Medicaid For Primary Care Visits, Substance Use Disorder
The technology continues to improve. But for years, telemedicine has been out of reach for many – costly, sparse and often not covered by insurance. That may change soon, with a new law to expand telemedicine for low-income Granite Staters. Following the signing of a bill this week by Gov. Chris Sununu, New Hampshire’s Medicaid program will soon cover the use of the technology for primary care visits, substance-use treatment and more. (DeWitt, 8/13)
