So far, health plans say they’re succeeding in getting the fee covered. Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest U.S. medical insurer, told analysts on a Jan. 16 call that it has written agreements from a third of the 24 states where it sells Medicaid plans and verbal commitments from others. Aetna, based in Hartford, Connecticut, also has found support, said Guertin, the CFO.
“The good news is that nominally most states recognize that it needs to be an element of the rate,” he said in an interview. “Medicaid has always been a low-margin business.”