Governor Ivey Releases Statement on Medicaid’s Decision to Pursue Alternatives to Regional Care Organizations

MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday released a statement regarding the decision to pursue alternatives to Regional Care Organizations for the Alabama Medicaid Agency. The full statement is below.
“I support Medicaid’s shift in reform strategy, which has been fully shared with legislative leadership and other key stakeholders.
“I spoke with Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, and he has assured me of the Trump administration’s desire to work with the states to allow more flexibility in Medicaid services moving forward.
“This flexibility brought us to a crossroads where we reconsidered the risks and rewards of RCOs, and decided instead to pursue new reform options which bring less risks and similar outcomes.
“The RCO model didn’t fail; instead the alternative is a recognition that the circumstances surrounding Medicaid have changed, thus our approach must change.
“Our end goal is clear – to increase the quality of services provided and protect the investment of Alabama taxpayers.”
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