Senator Marty presents bill to replace Medicaid managed care with direct provider payments

Senator Marty presented Senate File 1059, a proposal he labeled “patient-centered care,” to the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, arguing the bill would end the state's managed-care contracts for Medicaid and MinnesotaCare and instead pay clinics, providers and hospitals directly for services while adding modest monthly care-coordination payments to primary-care providers.

The bill's author told the committee the plan would continue county-based purchasing in counties that already use it, let other counties choose whether to participate, and direct some savings toward community outreach and hiring community health workers. "We would not renew managed-care contracts when they expire," Senator Marty said during his presentation. He asked the Department of Human Services to consider the proposal as one…