CMS has informed Florida health officials that it will not approve its plan to privatize the state's Medicaid program, allowing Medicaid HMOs, at least for the time being, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek report.
CMS said in letter it cannot approve the change without reviewing specific legislation from the state. The Florida legislature has not yet passed legislation to expand the state's current pilot of the HMO arrangements.
The legislation is currently stalled in the Senate, according to the report. Both the Senate and the House want to expand the HMO pilot, but the Senate's bill says the state will withdrawal from the Medicaid program if CMS does not approve the plan. The House would not approve such a measure. The two groups also differ on the number of managed care regions the state should be divided into.
If the two groups do pass legislation before they adjourn next week, CMS said it would consider approving the plan if it addressed quality of care and transparency, according to the report.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek report on Florida Medicaid.
Read related articles on Florida Medicaid:
Florida Hospitals Eye Taking Insurance Risk in New Medicaid HMOs
Florida House Passes Legislation to Shift Medicaid Recipients Into HMO-Style Plans
Florida Senate Debating Deeper Medicaid Cuts
CMS said in letter it cannot approve the change without reviewing specific legislation from the state. The Florida legislature has not yet passed legislation to expand the state's current pilot of the HMO arrangements.
The legislation is currently stalled in the Senate, according to the report. Both the Senate and the House want to expand the HMO pilot, but the Senate's bill says the state will withdrawal from the Medicaid program if CMS does not approve the plan. The House would not approve such a measure. The two groups also differ on the number of managed care regions the state should be divided into.
If the two groups do pass legislation before they adjourn next week, CMS said it would consider approving the plan if it addressed quality of care and transparency, according to the report.
Read the Bloomberg Businessweek report on Florida Medicaid.
Read related articles on Florida Medicaid:
Florida Hospitals Eye Taking Insurance Risk in New Medicaid HMOs
Florida House Passes Legislation to Shift Medicaid Recipients Into HMO-Style Plans
Florida Senate Debating Deeper Medicaid Cuts