W.Va. Medicaid "Redesign" Takes Another Hit

Another study has come away critical of West Virginia's effort revamp its Medicaid program, The Associated Press reports.

"Mountain Health Choices makes some benefits contingent upon signing contracts that pledge recipients will regularly visit their doctor and take their medication as directed, among other things," AP's Tom Breen explains. "Recipients who don't sign those contracts are enrolled in a health plan with fewer benefits than they had received under traditional Medicaid."

"The Institute for Health Policy Research at West Virginia University conducted interviews with state officials, health-care providers, patient advocates and other groups in 2008 and 2009 to evaluate the program," the article said.

Among other conclusions, the report found that "tens of thousands of West Virginians on Medicaid are getting less medical care than they used to," Breen writes.