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Louisiana’s health department is moving to install emergency contracts in an effort to ensure health coverage for 1.5 million people is not disrupted in the looming open enrollment period, a day after the state procurement office blocked a new round of multi-billion dollar contracts from moving forward. The agency said it will contract with the five existing Medicaid managed care organizations, or MCOs, for the emergency contracts. The contracts will likely stay in place until the protests are resolved, said LDH spokesman Bob Johannessen. (Karlin, 8/29)

The head of Virginia’s Medicaid agency is stepping down. Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday that Dr. Jennifer Lee is resigning as director of the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance. She led DMAS through a massive expansion of Medicaid in Virginia that saw about 300,000 newly eligible Virginians sign up. Lawmakers voted in 2018 to expand Medicaid to low-income adults, a key part of former President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. (8/30)

One major piece of Idaho lawmakers’ plan to alter Medicaid expansion was rejected by the federal government Thursday. Idaho’s Republican governor and legislative leaders said they were “disappointed and surprised” by the decision and accused the Trump administration of “pulling the rug out from under us.” (Dutton, 8/29)