Associated Press Published

State Official: Medicaid Court Order to Cost State Millions

gavel

A state official says a court order regarding Medicaid managed care contracts will cost West Virginia millions of dollars.

Bureau for Medical Services acting commissioner Cindy Beane says the order also could affect delivery of services to some Medicaid recipients.

Beane says in a statement that the bureau and the Department of Health and Human Resources are weighing their legal options.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that a Kanawha County judge granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday barring the addition of mental health services to Medicaid contracts with health maintenance organizations without competitive bidding. The expanded coverage is set to begin July 1.

Five West Virginia taxpayers requested the injunction in an April petition. They argued that the contracts are illegal because the DHHR awarded them without competitive bids.