OPINION |
by Kelly Wright, MD, FAAP, Springfield
Due to state-mandated changes in contracts between health care providers and the companies that administer managed Medicaid programs, all hospitals in the state had to renegotiate contracts with the three insurance companies that administer these programs.
CoxHealth recently reported they have been successful in reaching agreements with two of these insurance companies, but have not been able to reach an agreement with Home State Health, the plan administered by Centene.
As a pediatrician, this concerns me greatly.
Home State Health is the sole insurance provider for children and youth in foster care (or adopted from foster care) in the state of Missouri. These children often come to medical care with significant trauma, and it takes time for them to build trust. They also often have complex care needs. Many of these children require specialty care services and will no longer be able to access their specialty providers at CoxHealth.
In many cases, they will have to travel outside of southwest Missouri to continue receiving specialty care. There may be lapses in care as children wait to establish with new providers. There are more than 2,700 children affected by this change in Greene County alone. Children in care should have the same ability to choose their medical providers as any other person. Individuals who are insured by Medicaid who are not in the foster care system are able to choose from multiple plans ensuring access to the health care provider of their choice.
If Home State Health will be the sole provider for children in foster care, they should be expected to have contracts with every major health system in the state. I have cared for many of my foster families for the entirety of my 14 years in practice here. Our most vulnerable citizens deserve our best.
Centene, whose CEO made $20.6 million in 2021, appears to care more about their shareholders than the children that they insure. It’s time for Centene to negotiate in earnest and reach an agreement with CoxHealth.