Medicaid: Bidding Lawsuit In Mo.; Conn. Raises Adult Qualification Bar
States deal with Medicaid issues, including illegal transportation of poor children to Medicaid services in Texas and a lawsuit challenging bidding rules in Missouri. In Connecticut, lawmakers have raised the bar for low-income adults to qualify for the program.
Houston Chronicle: Officials Investigate Kids' Illegal Medicaid Rides To Therapy
Millions of public dollars have been spent for the transportation of poor and unaccompanied children, some as young as 3, to rehabilitation clinics in the Rio Grande Valley even though the rides have been illegal for years. "With no parent on the ride or service, there's little in the way of checks and balances to let the state know if there were problems or if the ride or therapy session even happened," said Stephanie Goodman, spokeswoman for Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), which oversees both Medicaid and the van service (Langford, 5/9).
Kaiser Health News: Lawsuit Challenges Medicaid Managed Care Decision In Missouri
Molina Healthcare is suing the state arguing that Missouri changed the rules in the midst of a competitive bidding process. Molina is one of five companies currently managing care for about 430,000 of the state's Medicaid beneficiaries, who are mainly low-income children and pregnant women (Gordon, 5/9).
Reuters: Connecticut OKs $20.5 Billion Budget, Closes Deficit
The Connecticut legislature has approved a $20.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year, which closes a $200 million deficit and adds $100 million in spending on education without increasing taxes, officials said on Wednesday. The budget, enacted late on Tuesday by lawmakers, includes savings of around $75 million focused on Medicaid, the federal-state health plan for the poor, raising the bar for low-income adults to qualify (5/9).
