News Briefs

✦ Humana Inc. in a new lawsuit alleges that Kentucky violated its five Medicaid contracts by allowing Molina Healthcare, Inc. to acquire the Medicaid membership of Passport Health Plan, reports Louisville Business First. After reviewing a second round of bids, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services last May named the same five winners in the Medicaid contract awards originally made under former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin (RMA 6/4/20, p. 4). Incumbent bidder Passport, which at the time was on the brink of insolvency, was not chosen. Molina, which was selected for a new contract, acquired Passport’s approximately 315,000 Medicaid members in Kentucky on Sept. 1, 2020. But in a lawsuit filed Dec. 23, 2020, Humana questions whether the takeover entitled Molina to Passport’s membership for a new contract period and asserts that Passport “had no claim to its membership at all beyond its contract” that expired on Dec. 31, according to the business journal. Anthem, Inc., which also was not selected as one of the initial five MCOs, contested the awards and in October won a temporary injunction directing the state to make it the sixth participant. Visit https://bit.ly/3rXRV0U.

✦ Independence Blue Cross and Strive Health this month launched a new initiative to bring specialized care delivery and coordination to Independence Medicare Advantage members living with chronic kidney disease (stages 4 and 5) and end stage renal disease. The program aims to slow disease progression and improve quality of life for these members by assisting with care management and reducing unnecessary hospital stays, according to the Philadelphia-based insurer. Eligible members will receive care from Strive Health’s local team that includes nurse practitioners and dietitians, and will receive direct and virtual clinical services, home dialysis education and training, advanced care planning, and help with social determinants of health. Contact Diana Quattrone at diana.quattrone@ibx.com.

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• Radar on Medicare Advantage