Arizona | Summer | 2008 | Health Plan Analysis
The state agency that manages the Medicaid managed care program is keeping seven of its current managed care plans in its latest procurement, and it will add a subsidiary of Centene Corp. to its line-up. However, the service areas are shifting dramatically with a number of current plans set to lose members in key counties. The state legislature passed a comprehensive bill mandating coverage of autism while the agency coordinating small business coverage hung on in the session, despite attempts to end the program. Aetna and CIGNA HealthCare have launched plan designs in Arizona geared to the small-business sector, while UnitedHealthcare will offer a fully insured product option to small school districts in the state for 2009-2010. Finally, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has launched its first-ever campaign targeting Hispanics, who account for 30 percent of the state's population while other insurers and providers wrestle with how to reach and insure immigrants.
