Thousands of Medicaid patients in California are waiting days to weeks for necessary medications amid challenges with the state's new prescription drug program, Kaiser Health News reported Feb. 9.
California launched the Medi-Cal Rx program Jan. 1, tapping Magellan Health to provide prescription drug coverage for the state's 14 million Medicaid patients. Previously, these individuals got drug coverage from about two dozen managed-care plans.
Magellan has encountered various operational challenges since the program's rollout, including improper claim denials, difficulty keeping up with call center demands and missing data from managed-care plans.
The issues are leaving many patients in limbo about their prescriptions, with some struggling to access crucial medications such as antibiotics or those used to prevent blood clots and seizures, according to Kaiser Health News.
When asked to comment, Magellan referred the publication to California's Department of Health Care Services.
California's Medicaid Director Jacey Cooper said the department is meeting with Magellan daily to address these issues. The state removed prior authorization requirements for some drugs, provided additional employees to help staff call centers and is allowing pharmacies to fill emergency prescriptions for up to two weeks.
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