One of the companies denied a new contract to provide KanCare services in the future is not going away without a fight.
On Wednesday, Amerigroup insurance company renewed its battle in the courts to convince a judge to force rebidding of the state’s Medicaid contract. According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, Amerigroup also disclosed a secret meeting with officials in Gov. Jeff Colyer’s administration to search for a settlement to litigation.
While the private discussion didn’t prompt anything noteworthy it did threaten to delay implementation of the new KanCare contract serving 400,000 Kansans who are disabled, elderly, pregnant or children. Meanwhile attorneys for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the three selected companies – Sunflower State Health Plan, United Healthcare Midwest and Aetna Better Health – are all opposed to rebidding.
The enrollment process begins next month for those KanCare recipients with the revised contract to take effect in January. The Capital-Journal reports that the goal of the private meeting was to determine whether the lame duck Colyer administration and KDHE’s attorney would be interested in retaining Amerigroup as a fourth KanCare contractor in exchange for the company dropping its lawsuit. Amerigroup claims that the KanCare contract process was bungled.
As the court decides the appropriate route, the Medicaid contract worth $9 to $15 billion over the next three to five years is hanging in the balance.
Amerigroup has been a KanCare provider since 2013. The current contract is up at the end of the year. Amerigroup filed its initial complaint in July.
