The rejected insurers include Moda Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest. Three companies that currently provide Medicaid coverage — Centene subsidiary Coordinated Care Health, Molina Healthcare of Washington and Community Health Plan of Washington — were also turned down.
As a result of the state stopping the Medicaid plan providers from participating, low-income people will not be able to stay with the same insurance company if their earnings go up and they no longer qualify for Medicaid, according to a blog post by Alison White, executive director of the nonprofit WithinReach, which connects families with healthcare resources.
Molina President and CEO Mario Molina, MD, told The Seattle Times the decision not to let his company sell coverage through the exchange seems counterintuitive if the state wants to increase competition and ensure continuity of care.
Republican state Sens. Linda Evans Parlette and Michael Baumgartner have also criticized the decision, saying it will hurt competition and consumer choice, according to the report.
Mike Kreidler, the state's insurance commissioner, supports competition but had to rule out some plans due to inadequate provider networks or failure to meet other commercial market regulations, according to the report.
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