KanCare — which launched on Jan. 1 — moved most of the state’s 350,000 Medicaid beneficiaries into plans administered by the following managed care plans: Amerigroup of Kansas, Sunflower State Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. Gov. Sam Brownback advocated for the program as a way to improve quality of care while saving money, according to the report. Earlier this month, he announced KanCare had saved $37 million so far.
However, hospitals around the state have encountered issues with getting reimbursed and with obtaining prior authorizations from insurance companies to administer treatment in a timely manner, Cindy Samuelson, Kansas Hospital Association vice president for member services and public relations, told the Journal.
Robert Moser — secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment — told the Journal the MCOs are compiling a weekly summary of issues they’re dealing with and are developing plans to deal with those problems within a specific time frame. He also said they plan to improve training and hire more staff.
Amerigroup completes 99 percent of prior authorizations for hospitalized patients within one day and 79 percent of outpatient authorizations within three days, spokeswoman Maureen McDonnell told the Journal. She also said clean claims are paid in an average of five days.
UnitedHealthcare offers weekly meetings for providers and welcomes feedback, according to the report.
More Articles on KanCare:
Kansas Moves Medicaid to Managed Care
HHS, CMS Give Final Approval for Kansas Medicaid Overhaul
3 Managed Care Companies Obtain Kansas Medicaid Contracts
