Arbo
09-20-2013, 12:30 PM
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/September/15/medicaid-managed-care.aspx
In Florida, a national managed care company’s former top executives were convicted in a scheme to rip off Medicaid. In Illinois, a state official concluded two Medicaid plans were providing “abysmal” care. In Ohio, a nonprofit paid millions to settle civil fraud allegations that it failed to screen special needs children and faked data.
Despite these problems, state health agencies in these - and other states - continued to contract with the plans to provide services to patients on Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor and disabled.
Health care experts say that’s because states are reluctant to drop Medicaid plans out of fear of leaving patients in a bind.
If even states will not fix what is broken, how will things ever improve?
In Florida, a national managed care company’s former top executives were convicted in a scheme to rip off Medicaid. In Illinois, a state official concluded two Medicaid plans were providing “abysmal” care. In Ohio, a nonprofit paid millions to settle civil fraud allegations that it failed to screen special needs children and faked data.
Despite these problems, state health agencies in these - and other states - continued to contract with the plans to provide services to patients on Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor and disabled.
Health care experts say that’s because states are reluctant to drop Medicaid plans out of fear of leaving patients in a bind.
If even states will not fix what is broken, how will things ever improve?