News

Montana Medicaid Director Stepping Down

• Montana Medicaid Director, Mike Randol, has submitted his resignation and will be stepping down effective May 10, 2024. Randol worked at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) for almost two years and announced plans to move back to the private sector. The current administrator of the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Division, Rebecca de Camara, will step up as the acting Medicaid Director effective May 13, 2024. In hiring a new Medicaid director, PHHS “will both consider internal candidates and launch a national search” (Montana Free Press, April 25).

Payers Seek Procurement Rebid in Texas

• Eight payers in Texas have filed protests after the Health and Human Services Commission accidentally sent confidential Medicaid bid documents to several consulting firms before the winners were announced in March. The payers filed protests over what they claim is a breach of the procurement process that resulted in an unfair advantage to other payers “for the largest state contracts in Texas” (Modern Healthcare, April 30; Health Payer Specialist, April 29).

Alabama House & Senate Hear from Two Southern States that have Expanded Medicaid

• On April 24, the Alabama House and Senate committees held a joint session to hear from representatives from North Carolina and Arkansas who came to speak to them about the effects Medicaid expansion has had on their economy and their residents, as well as any challenges they experienced along the way. Currently, Alabama’s Medicaid program is available to children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. Paul Lee (R-Dothan), spoke to how they’re looking for something unique that will fit Alabama to aid those who are currently uninsured and ensure affordable healthcare. If expansion were to happen, this would mean that those making up to 138% of the FPL would receive benefits, extending coverage to approximately 100,000 people (WSFA 12 News, April 26; Alabama Reflector, April 25).

New York to Enforce Restrictions Around Weight Loss and Muscle Building Supplements

• On April 24, a federal judge in New York rejected a preliminary injunction request filed by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) to postpone the effective date of a 2023 state law that limits the sale of weight loss and muscle building supplements to individuals over the age of 18. However, in denying the preliminary injunctive relief, the judge ruled that the CRN has standing to continue to pursue its case involving the constitutionality of the state law. Stakeholders that help individuals struggling with eating disorders supported the law and similar legislation in other states, especially since the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 doesn’t require supplement manufacturers to get approval before marketing their products. CRN released a statement disagreeing with the ruling concerning the preliminary injunction denial and stating that the law negatively impacts people under the age of 18 who have eating disorders and infringes on their constitutional rights. The law took effect on April 22, 2024 (Inside Health Policy, April 24).