Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
On February 5, Governor Mike DeWine announced plans to rebid the state’s contracts with private health insurance companies that manage billions of dollars of Medicaid benefits (Source: “Ohio to Rebid Costly Private Medicaid Contracts,” Dayton Daily News, February 5, 2019).
Gov. DeWine ordered the Ohio Department of Medicaid to rebid its managed care contracts. There are no details yet on what changes could be coming, but rebidding the contract lets state officials look for cost savings and explore ways to improve health care by tying payments to quality outcomes.
“The goal is to obviously save taxpayers’ dollars and try to get a better deal for the state of Ohio,” said Dan Tierney, spokesman for Gov. DeWine.
Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Lobbyist David Paragas, JD, is communicating with Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran to ensure that new contracts incorporate elements that are important to family physician practices and their patients.