Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Passport Chairman Resigns
KENTUCKY...
Dr. Larry Cook, who served as chairman of the Passport Health Plan for 13 years, resigned Wednesday after a November audit showed various conflicts of interests as well as lavish spending on meals, travel and lobbying. Cook had said he would stay on as chairman of the board until he retires from his position at the University of Louisville on June 30th, but Governor Steve Beshear demanded Cook step down because the organization was responding too slowly to a host of problems found in the audit. Beshear has said that if Passport does not make changes, the state will terminate Passport's contract with the state after June 30th, the contract's last day. Passport has the state's largest contract, nearly $800 million, and manages health care services for 164,000 recipients on Medicaid in Jefferson and 15 other counties.
Dr. Larry Cook, who served as chairman of the Passport Health Plan for 13 years, resigned Wednesday after a November audit showed various conflicts of interests as well as lavish spending on meals, travel and lobbying. Cook had said he would stay on as chairman of the board until he retires from his position at the University of Louisville on June 30th, but Governor Steve Beshear demanded Cook step down because the organization was responding too slowly to a host of problems found in the audit. Beshear has said that if Passport does not make changes, the state will terminate Passport's contract with the state after June 30th, the contract's last day. Passport has the state's largest contract, nearly $800 million, and manages health care services for 164,000 recipients on Medicaid in Jefferson and 15 other counties.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:47 PM 
