Nebraska plans to bundle Medicaid services to 2 to 3 insurers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/consumer/nebraska-plans-to-bundle-medicaid-services-to-to-insurers/article_b1bfdb1a-3fa7-5a27-b0ae-9fb817d31dda.html

Posted: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 12:30 am | Updated: 12:53 am, Wed Nov 11, 2015.
By Rick Ruggles / World-Herald staff writer

The State of Nebraska wants proposals from companies to handle a combination of physical health, behavioral health and pharmaceutical services to make it easier for patients in the Medicaid program.

In the past, those services have been somewhat fragmented, with different companies providing different services. Magellan Healthcare, for instance, has handled behavioral health services for the Nebraska Medicaid program, and three insurers — Aetna, United Healthcare and Arbor Health Plan — have overseen physical health.

Calder Lynch, Nebraska Medicaid’s director, said the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services intends to contract with two or three companies, each of which will handle all three elements.

The state has set a Dec. 22 deadline for proposals from organizations. The companies that score the highest will be announced in late January or early February, and contracts will be finalized in March, Lynch said. This will allow the groups time to prepare for the launch.

FULL story at link.