Statement on Home State Health changes

The state of Missouri recently required all hospitals to renegotiate contracts with the three insurance companies that administer managed Medicaid programs statewide.

CoxHealth reached agreements with two of the three companies, remaining in network for the MO HealthNet Managed Medicaid products offered by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and Healthy Blue (Anthem).

Unfortunately, after much negotiation, we were unable to reach an agreement with Centene, which provides the managed Medicaid plan Home State Health.

Home State Health manages the Show Me Healthy Kids program and is the sole insurance provider for children in state custody, including youth in foster care (or adopted from foster care) in the state of Missouri.

While many children and families can remain in network at CoxHealth by switching to the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan or Healthy Blue (Anthem), the state mandate that makes Centene the exclusive manager of the Show Me Healthy Kids program means children in the program will be out of network at CoxHealth.

We are aware of the unfortunate impact this change will create for children and families, and that is why CoxHealth made every effort to reach a resolution. We offered Centene rates on par with those we offer other managed Medicaid insurance companies, but Centene chose not to accept those rates.

Managed Medicaid programs are designed to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used to care for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. We greatly appreciate the commitment of UnitedHealthcare and Anthem to fulfill this purpose as we work to care for our communities.

Centene is the third provider of these services in Missouri, and it is the exclusive provider for the Show Me Healthy Kids program.

Just as managed Medicaid programs fund care for the most vulnerable, Show Me Healthy Kids is meant to provide care for children in need, not to drive revenue for managed care insurance providers.

While children in the Show Me Healthy Kids program will still have access to care in Springfield at Jordan Valley Community Health Center and at Mercy, we know the change will cause disruption for families, many of whom are among the most vulnerable patients we serve. We are working with our community partners at both organizations to ensure that these children continue to have access to care.

We believe that if Centene’s Home State Health is required to be the sole insurance provider for children in foster care, they should have agreements with major health systems in our region.

Even though there are no active negotiations underway, CoxHealth remains open to contracting with Centene at the fair rates we have offered, so we can again provide in-network care for this pediatric population.