Ohio Medicaid Defers Buckeye Renewal as Centene Suit Lingers
More than three months after the intended award announcement date, the Ohio Dept. of Medicaid (ODM) on April 9 named six managed care organizations that will serve its newly redesigned Medicaid program starting in 2022. One notable exclusion from that group was Buckeye Community Health Plan, the Ohio subsidiary of Centene Corp. that received a designation of “Defer” as alleged violations of its current pact with ODM are the subject of ongoing litigation and, according to one industry expert, could have devastating effects for Centene.
In order from highest to lowest qualifying score, the six winners of the state’s request for applications (RFA) are: UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, Inc., Humana Health Plan of Ohio, Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Inc., AmeriHealth Caritas Ohio, Inc., Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and CareSource Ohio, Inc.