Medicaid changes outlined at listening session

Nebraska Medicaid Director Kevin Bagley along with the CEOs for the state's three Medicaid plans met with local providers in a listening session at Scottsbluff High School Tuesday night.

Heath Phillips, of Nebraska Total Care, Jeff Stafford, of United Healthcare, and Frank Clepper, of Molina Healthcare, heard from local physicians and other providers about how they can improve their services.

Before they fielded questions, Bagley led a presentation on the changes that were coming to Medicaid this year. The first of which was that one of the state's health care plans would be replaced.

Healthy Blue will no longer be providing a Medicaid plan for the state of Nebraska and will be replaced by Molina Healthcare, an insurance provider out of California.

Medicaid members will have the opportunity to change their plans between the three providers during the open enrollment period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. If members do not voice a desire to change plans, they will remain on their current plan.

Members who were on the Healthy Blue plan will be assigned to Molina Healthcare unless they specify otherwise during the open enrollment period.

"If you're on Healthy Blue and you don't choose another plan, we will automatically assign you to Molina, that way we see the least amount of disruption," Bagley said.

Other changes to Medicaid coming in 2024 include extensions on Medicaid coverage for postpartum care for mothers as well as continuous coverage for children.

Medicaid coverage for postpartum care will be extended from 60 days to 12 months under the changes. Children will receive continuous care for 12 months after they are found eligible for Medicaid regardless of changes in eligibility. This was increased from six months.

Both changes will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

"Twelve months following the birth of that child for mothers enrolled in Medicaid, they will continue to be eligible regardless of changing circumstances for 12 months," Bagley said.

Bagley said he was also excited to speak about the iServe Nebraska platform launched earlier this month. They new platform is designed to replace multiple Nebraska benefit applications that ask the same questions and place them all under one roof.

"We want to have a portal to ask the questions in a more accessible way and to have a central place where they can come and there's no wrong door because there is a door where everything is possible for that application," Bagley said.

Plan CEOs said they would work to set up more individual meetings with providers looking to work through the system to provide better care for their patients

For those who may have missed Tuesday's meeting there will be a virtual listening session held Nov. 9 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. which will cover the same information.

It is being hosted by WebEx and can be accessed online at bit.ly/3QbhEBe or by phone at 408-418-9388. Those calling into the meeting will have to dial the access code 2480 433 7829 to join.

C ontact Jack Underwood: jack.underwood@starherald.com, 308-632-9044.