Tagged: passport health plan

Weeks after their announced departure from Kentucky’s Medicaid managed care system, operator Kentucky Spirit and the state are still locked in a legal battle.

Both sides have sued each other, blaming the other for the situation. Kentucky Spirit announced their departure, scheduled for the middle of 2013, due to massive losses in the system.

In an interim committee meeting today, Kentucky lawmakers asked for an update on what the state hoped to recoup financially because of Kentucky Spirit’s decision.

Kentucky officials are once again facing the prospect of lawsuits over efforts to expand managed health care within  Medicaid. 

This time, it's Passport Health Plan that is threatening to sue, based on what they call broken rules and promises made to them. 

(Read the letter here.)

The Louisville Medicaid region will now be home to four different managed care operators. State officials announced the change today.

Joining Passport Health Plan is Humana, CoventryCares and WellCare.

WellCare and Coventry already have statewide contracts for Medicaid and Passport has operated in Louisville for years.

Passport officials say they will still try to continue maintain their high level of care, despite no longer holding an exclusive contract for the region. 

After decades of having one company oversee Medicaid, the Louisville area will now have four private Medicaid providers.

The Louisville area was the first part of the state to have Medicaid privatized, and Passport Health Plan has administered the program ever since.

But the rest of the state has since been privatized, and multiple operators compete for patients across the commonwealth.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced today that Passport will now have competition from CoventryCares, WellCare and Humana.