Kansas not only keeping troubled KanCare contractor but will pay it more

TOPEKA -- Kansas will continue doing business with a contractor that processes Medicaid applications despite years of troubled performance that prompted a top state official to acknowledge Tuesday “you get what you pay for.”

And to the frustration of lawmakers, the company will earn even more money.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment plans to extend its contract with the company, Maximus, beyond the end of the year. But agency secretary Jeff Andersen said Tuesday that his department next July will take over processing the most difficult applications for KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program, that involve the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

Kansas won’t sue Maximus for failing to live up to the terms of its contract, but Andersen said the company will provide up to $10 million in “concessions.” Chronic understaffing by Maximus contributed to a backlog of unprocessed Medicaid applications that caused headaches for patients and medical providers.

Read more here: https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article217077635.html