Nebraska May Delay Moving Vulnerable Into Managed Care

Nebraska lawmakers are hitting the brakes of a plan to move vulnerable residents who rely on government-funded care services into a system designed to keep costs low.

Senators advanced a bill Wednesday to delay the transition until July 1, 2021.

State officials have been moving Medicaid recipients to a “managed care” program that provides care services on the state’s behalf.

Managed care organizations receive a set amount of money from the state each month to care for enrollees. They get to keep money they don’t spend, creating an incentive to minimize costs.

The bill by Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont, would apply to people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities as well as those who receive home and community-based services.

Walz says the people affected are especially vulnerable.