CoxHealth reaches agreement with Centene, stays in-network for foster care and Medicaid
Managed care company Centene and CoxHealth reached an indefinite agreement this week to keep CoxHealth in-network for Medicaid recipients and former and current foster care youth.
In January, the health system announced it was unable to reach an agreement with Centene. Feb. 16 was set as the day that CoxHealth would be out-of-network for Show Me Healthy Kids members, a health insurance plan for former and current foster care youth, and for those with the Home State Health MO Health Net plan.
"With the agreement now in place, any families who originally had a CoxHealth provider may now seamlessly continue their care at CoxHealth without taking additional steps," CoxHealth said in a statement. "We understand the unfortunate impact this situation has had on local families and children who may have sought access elsewhere. We’re grateful that an agreement was reached, and that we will continue to provide care to Home State Health members."
More:Starting Feb. 16, CoxHealth will be out-of-network for kids in Missouri foster care system
As of Feb. 10, 13,372 children were in foster care and 2,279 children were awaiting adoption in the state of Missouri. Just over 1 million people in Missouri were enrolled in MO Health Net services in 2021.
"Programs like Home State Health ensure taxpayer dollars are used to care for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. CoxHealth is committed to providing high-quality care to the community, and we’re honored to continue serving these patients and their families," CoxHealth said.
Home State Health, a subsidiary of Centene, is the sole insurance provider for SMHK. MO Health Net managed care plans are offered by Home State Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Health Care.
Centene is the nation's largest private managed-care provider for Medicaid, and has come under fire for its subsidiaries' contributions to gubernatorial campaigns in states that offer lucrative contracts, according to a report by Kaiser Health News.
On Feb. 8, California's Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement of more than $215 million over allegations that Centene overcharged California's Medicaid program by falsely reporting prescription drug costs. The company has also spent $596 million to settle accusations that it overbilled 13 other states for Medicaid pharmacy services, including Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and Arkansas.
Centene has not yet returned a request for comment.
Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Agreement keeps CoxHealth in-network for foster care, Medicaid clients
