The Missouri Supreme Court has been asked to appoint a new judge to hear a lawsuit challenging a state Medicaid contract.
The lawsuit by Molina Healthcare claims Missouri officials violated competitive bidding laws earlier this year in awarding part of a Medicaid managed care contract to Centene Corp. instead of Molina.
The case already has cycled through two judges in Cole County Circuit Court, the latter of whom apparently had scheduling conflicts. Online court records indicate the county's presiding judge has sent the case to the state Supreme Court to be reassigned.