More federal scrutiny for Minn. Medicaid program; Colo. Medicaid reforms signed into law

Minnesota's Medicaid program faces more federal scrutiny on its rates. In the meantime, new Medicaid payment reforms are signed into law in Colorado.

(St. Paul) Pioneer Press: Minnesota's Medicaid Program Under Investigation By Yet Another Federal Agency 
Add the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the list of federal agencies investigating the Medicaid program in Minnesota. In a May 16 letter, the agency that runs the federal government's two key health insurance programs asks Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson to answer a series of questions about how Minnesota sets payment rates for managed care organizations in the state's Medicaid program. … Questions about whether Minnesota officials have manipulated the Medicaid rate-setting process to wrongly pull down extra federal funding have swirled since February when Jesson confirmed the federal government was investigating the issue (Snowbeck, 6/6). 

Modern Healthcare: Colo. Medicaid Reform Signed Into Law
A Colorado bill that had bipartisan support and establishes a program to pilot-test Medicaid payment reform and fee-for-service alternatives was signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper. Regional care collaborative organizations could also be tested, and pilots could incorporate elements such as global payments, risk sharing and aligned payment incentives (Robeznieks, 6/6).