State revises list of health plans awarded new Medicaid managed care contracts

Two of the five companies awarded preliminary state contracts to provide managed care to Medicaid beneficiaries were notified yesterday that they have lost their contracts and will be replaced by two companies that filed protests over the state scoring system (Source: “State revises which health plans will manage Medicaid program following protests,” Columbus Dispatch, June 7, 2012).

State officials notified Aetna Better Health of Ohio and Meridian that their contracts will now be awarded to Buckeye Community Health Plan and Molina Healthcare. Medicaid Director John McCarthy said bids were rescored after five of the six unsuccessful bidders filed protests with the state after the original contract announcement in April.

The state awarded preliminary contracts two months ago to five health plans — three existing plans and two new ones — to provide services to about 1.5 million of the 2.2 million Ohioans insured through Medicaid. Buckeye and Molina now join Paramount Advantage, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio and CareSource, which were previously awarded preliminary contracts for the work. All five must now pass the state’s “readiness assessment” to begin the work starting Jan. 1.