Mo. Senate panel backs Medicaid managed care

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- After a month of hearings, a state Senate committee has advanced legislation that would revamp the way Medicaid is administered in Missouri.

The bill endorsed Thursday would shift more children and adults into managed care policies that more closely resemble private insurance.

It also would cover many seniors and disabled through a new kind of arrangement called a coordinated care organization. The groups could include regional partnerships among hospitals, doctors and pharmacists that coordinate care for Medicaid patients.

The 6-4 vote by Senate health committee means the legislation now can be debated by the full Senate.

The legislation does not include a provision sought by Gov. Jay Nixon and other Democrats to expand Medicaid eligibility to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults.