Medicaid

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter Jim Ziegler has a plan for Alabama’s prison problem. At a press conference Tuesday morning, the Alabama State Auditor laid out a 12-step plan – which he dubbed “Plan Z” – to correct Alabama’s overcrowded prison issues. Ziegler said his Plan Z would cost taxpayers only a quarter of … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter Chanting the much-ballyhooed mantra of “streamlining government, transparency and efficiency,” the administration of Governor Robert Bentley and the Republican-controlled State House have green-lighted, perhaps, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on failed software systems. Last Monday, Bentley’s cabinet secretary for the Office of Information Technology (OIT), Dr. Joanne Hale, … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, November 29, 2016, State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) questioned twelve contracts for maternity services totaling $71 million that are up for review on Thursday by the Contract Review Committee. State Auditor Jim Zeigler asked the panel to delay the contracts to determine if there is a less expensive … Continued

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has called several lawmakers and other state officials to Montgomery for a Monday meeting on the status of the State’s troubled Regional Care Organizations. “I assume he wants to discuss how this thing (RCOs) might be held together, if it can be,” said Sen. Jim … Continued

By Josh Moon Alabama Political Reporter A consulting firm tasked with implementing Alabama’s new Medicaid managed-care system has been paid nearly $5 million more than the original contract amount and recently received a second one-year extension that could nearly triple the cost of the project. Navigant Consulting, a Chicago-based firm, agreed back in December 2013 … Continued

By Bill Britt Alabama Political Reporter MONTGOMERY—The promised dream of Regional Care Organizations (RCOs) saving the State’s underfunded and overburdened Medicaid system continues to unravel. Just recently, the University of Birmingham Medical Systems and Viva Heath Inc., abandoned their programs indefinitely, citing the instability of State funding. Last month, The Alabama Political Reporter obtained a … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Thursday, October 6, the Contract Review Committee met and agreed to delay a $1.3 million legal services contract after State Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) presented objections to the controversial unbid contract to provide legal services for Alabama Medicaid to implement their RCO plan. Zeigler filed a request to delay … Continued

By Minority Leader Rep. Craig Ford Imagine you went for nine years without a pay raise. Now imagine that, during those nine years, your boss made you start paying more for your health insurance and retirement plan. Now imagine that your boss laid-off about one out of every five of your coworkers, forcing you to … Continued

By Brandon Moseley Alabama Political Reporter Tuesday, October 4, 2016 state Auditor Jim Zeigler (R) has asked the legislature’s Contract Review Committee to delay a controversial $1.3 million contract for legal services for implementation of the regional care organizations (RCOs) to deliver Medicaid healthcare. Auditor Zeigler said that the contract needs to be scrapped, and … Continued