JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri senators are raising questions about a newly proposed way of providing health care to seniors and disabled residents on Medicaid.
A Medicaid overhaul bill got its first hearing Thursday before a Senate health care committee. Almost all of the discussion focused on a plan to cover disabled and senior residents through "accountable care organizations."
The organizations would consist of partnerships among a hospital system, doctors and pharmacists who would coordinate care for a group of Medicaid patients. The structure is somewhat similar to a managed care organization, except an insurance company is not responsible for coordinating the network of health care providers.
Some senators want more details about the track record of accountable care organizations elsewhere. Senators also are questioning whether they would save money and have adequate oversight.