TEXAS -- David McSwane, a Dallas Morning News reporter who revealed issues with state Medicaid managed care in a series of articles, joins In Focus to discuss the series and how the program is failing disabled adults and children. Then, Chairman of the Human Services Committee, State Rep. Richard Raymond (D), discusses calling hearings on the issue and legislation he plans to introduce next session to help.

Superior HealthPlan was one of the managed care companies detailed in the newspaper series by David McSwane. In Focus requested an updated statement from the company. You can read it in full below: 

"Superior HealthPlan strongly objects to the inaccurate assertions made by the Dallas Morning News. While privacy laws prohibit us from responding to many of these accusations directly, we are working every day to address the health care needs of vulnerable Texans while also making responsible use of taxpayer funding.

Under our contract with the State of Texas, Superior provides our members all medically necessary benefits covered under the Medicaid program, which helps ensure members receive the right services in the right place at the right time. For example, out of the approximately 7,000 services in our STAR Health program that typically require authorization for medical necessity each month, on average more than 97% are approved.

Superior is always working to make our coverage even better. We have an established process to review policies and procedures, leveraging the expertise of both internal and external physicians. We make changes on an ongoing basis at their recommendation, as well as in response to changes in State medical or pharmaceutical policies."

- Superior HealthPlan Spokesman