Christine Jordan Sexton
After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations meant to keep its Medicaid bid out of courts, Florida health officials announced they would be extending Medicaid managed care contracts to three additional companies.
A notice published Thursday afternoon shows that Aetna Better Health of Florida, United Healthcare of Florida and Molina Healthcare — all of which had initially been denied contracts — will maintain a footprint in Florida’s lucrative Medicaid market.
Aetna and United will maintain their current Medicaid managed care operations under the new announcement. Molina Healthcare will have a contract in heavily populated Miami-Dade County and Monroe County, but it will no longer be a contracted Medicaid managed care provider for Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota counties (formerly Medicaid Region 8, now Medicaid Region F).
However, AmeriHealth Caritas, which currently operates in two South Florida Medicaid regions, still hasn’t been offered any contracts, according to the July 18 notice. Additionally, ImagineCare and Sentara were not offered any Medicaid managed care contracts according to the July 18 notice.
The decisions, similar to the first round announced in April, can be challenged.
The July 18 notice offers additional contracts to Florida Community Care, allowing it to maintain its statewide presence, according to the new notice.
The notice also changes the Medicaid contracts offered to the South Florida Community Care Network, which operates as Community Care Plan (CCP).
According to the April 12 notice, CCP was identified as a comprehensive long-term care plus plan and was awarded contracts in Medicaid Regions E, F, G, H, I which puts the Medicaid plan operating as far North as Brevard County and as far west as Lee, Collier and Sarasota counties.
The July 18 notice identifies CCP as a Medicaid managed medical assistance plan but there were no changes made otherwise. It also notes that CCP is a provider sponsored network. Indeed, CCP is which is owned by the North and South Broward Hospital Districts, which operate as Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System, respectively. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ former chief of staff, Shane Strum, is the president and CEO of Broward Health.
