By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Jan. 2
The state”s HealthWave programs are under new management.
A pair of managed care companies
Children”s Mercy Family Health Partners and UniCare Health Plan of Kansas, Inc. assumed responsibility for the programs Monday, replacing FirstGuard Health Plan of Kansas.
“Thus far, the transition appears to be going smoothly and the planning process appears to be working well,” Marci Nielsen, executive director at the Kansas Health Policy Authority, said Tuesday.
The companies are expected to coordinate and pay for health-care services for about 160,000 children and pregnant women. Combined, the five-year contracts are worth roughly $250 million annually.
Nielsen said that by mid-December, 55,000 beneficiaries had signed up for one of the two plans.
“Significantly more
like five-to-one
chose FHP (Family Health Partners),” Nielsen said, noting that the company has had an in-state presence for several years.
“FHP has been around longer,” she said. “People are used to dealing with them.”
The 105,000 beneficiaries who did not pick a plan by Dec. 21 have been randomly and equally assigned to one of the two plans.
Nielsen said UniCare”s network of participating physicians is not yet as developed as Children”s Mercy”s.
Nielsen said her office is keeping a close eye on the companies” performance.
“We”re very focused on ensuring the continuity of care for our beneficiaries and on fixing any unforeseen hiccups,” she said. “I”m sure some issues will come up but at this point in the process, I have to say things have gone really, really well.”
Jerry Slaughter, executive director at the Kansas Medical Society, said it”s too early to measure the effects of the new contracts.
“We”re hopeful that it goes smoothly,” Slaughter said. “I know all the partners
Children”s Mercy, UniCare, FirstGuard and the health authority
are all committed to a smooth transition. But it”s going to be a few weeks, I think, before we can say how well it”s going.”
UniCare is owned by WellPoint, a for-profit corporation based in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Children”s Mercy Family Health Partners is a nonprofit subsidiary of Children”s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo.
FirstGuard ran the state”s HealthWave programs from 1999 through 2006. Last summer, the company lost its bid to retain the contract. It sued the health policy authority and the state Division of Purchases, accusing
each of mishandling the bid-letting processes.
The first lawsuit against the health policy authority
was dismissed. In the Division of Purchases case, the court ruled against FirstGuard.
Nielsen praised FirstGuard for helping ensure a smooth transition between contractors. “They”ve been very good to work with,” she said.
Dave Ranney is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
dranney@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 128.