Dive Brief:
- Iowa’s $4.2 billion Medicaid program is set for privatization beginning March 1, The Baltimore Sun reported.
- Medicaid Director Mikki Stier told Iowa lawmakers on Monday a sufficient number of providers had signed with the managed care organizations that provide care to Medicaid beneficiaries.
- The state had planned to take Medicaid private on New Year’s Day, but was forced to postpone the launch after CMS cited low sign-up of Medicaid providers.
Dive Insight:
Stier told the Iowa Senate Resources Committee that 45% of Medicaid providers have signed on with all three private managed care organizations, while 75% have signed with at least one, according to Iowa Public Radio.
Training is being conducted across the state to get Medicaid service providers ready for the switch to private management, the Sun said. Communication with Medicaid recipients about the change are also being revved up.
Some lawmakers have accused the state of rushing to privatize its Medicaid system and creating confusion in the process.
Iowa’s Medicaid program covers about 560,000 low-income residents, children and disabled.