Minnesota Works To Clear Medicaid Backlogs

Pioneer Press: State Works To Clear MinnesotaCare, Medicaid Backlogs
About 40,000 low-income Minnesotans will lose their government health care next week as the state finally works its way out from underneath a massive backlog in its MinnesotaCare and Medicaid programs. Those 40,000 people -- about 28,000 households -- have either become ineligible for those low-income health programs or are still eligible but didn't submit necessary information in time. But this deadline should have come as early as January. Instead, a series of computer glitches delayed the renewals of almost 180,000 households well into the summer -- a months-old backlog that Minnesota won't finally put to rest until the end of September. (Montgomery, 8/27)

Tampa Bay Times: Florida Gives 7.7 Percent Rate Increase To Medicaid Insurers
State health officials have approved a 7.7 percent rate increase for the private health plans covering Florida's poorest residents. The plans had asked for a $400 million raise plus a 12 percent rate increase, saying they needed the money to cover rising prescription drug costs and an unexpected uptick in doctors visits. But the state Agency for Health Care Administration, which oversees Florida's $23 billion Medicaid program, wasn't willing to go that far. (McGrory, 8/27)

The Associated Press: Ex-Lawmaker's Role In Iowa Medicaid Bidding Faces Criticism
A former lawmaker's role is casting doubt on the process used to select companies to manage Iowa Medicaid, with one losing vendor alleging she provided an unfair advantage to a winning bidder after working as a state contractor.A second losing bidder claims the ex-representative, Renee Schulte, gave its lobbyists inside information that a key official in the selection process had made "derogatory comments" and was biased against the company. (Foley, 8/27)