Federal audit criticizes Kansas over parity compliance oversight

A new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) criticizes Kansas officials for insufficient oversight of the state's Medicaid managed care contractors' compliance with behavioral health parity requirements. The audit suggests that because the Kansas Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) did not demonstrate compliance with regulations mandating equitable practices in prior authorization, Medicaid enrollees might have faced limited access to mental health and substance use treatment.