UCare Asks Judge to Halt Impending Public Program Signups

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - UCare is asking a Minnesota judge to halt the state's upcoming sign-up period for public insurance programs as the health coverage provider fights a decision eliminating it from the menu of options.

In a Ramsey County lawsuit filed Wednesday, UCare seeks an injunction delaying 2016 enrollments due to start in early September. The company serves 370,000 low-income enrollees that would have to migrate to new plans. The Department of Human Service decided recently that UCare fell short of continued inclusion following a competitive bid process.

Besides forcing the coverage switch for people in subsidized medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs, UCare chief executive Jim Eppel told lawmakers that the company would slash its workforce in half.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services had no immediate comment.