Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Michigan Poised To Become Fifth State To Impose Work Requirements On Medicaid Beneficiaries
The Hill: Michigan Governor Signs Controversial Medicaid Work Requirement Bill
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) on Friday signed a bill to impose controversial work requirements on Medicaid recipients. If the plan is approved by the Trump administration, Michigan would become the fifth state to add work mandates to its program. (Sullivan, 6/22)
Kaiser Health News: Rx: Zucchini, Brown Rice, Turkey Soup. Medicaid Plan Offers Food As Medicine.
These medically tailored meals — all with limited salt and carbohydrates — are designed to keep [Feliciano] Pagan, who has congestive heart failure, out of the hospital. Health Partners Plans, the nonprofit company that runs the Medicaid health plan Pagan belongs to, is betting on it. Since 2015, Health Partners has joined a small group of insurers around the country to offer some members specially designed meals to improve their health. (Galewitz, 6/25)
Texas Tribune: Texas Supreme Court Rules Xerox Responsible For Fraudulent Medicaid Dental Payments
The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that Xerox is responsible for the $1 billion in fraudulent Medicaid payments the company made while overseeing pre-authorizations for Texas Medicaid patients’ dental work. In a 25-page decision, the state’s high court upheld a Texas Court of Appeals ruling that Xerox — and not the dentists — was responsible for mismanaging and mis-authorizing payments for Medicaid dental services. (Evans, 6/22)
Kansas City Star: Aetna Gets A KanCare Contract; Amerigroup Doesn't
The state of Kansas announced new contracts Friday for its $3 billion privatized Medicaid program, KanCare, jettisoning one of the three insurance companies that have run the program since former Gov. Sam Brownback started it five years ago. The new contracts, which start Jan. 1, went to Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Sunflower State Health Plan, a division of Centene. (Marso and Shorman, 6/22)
