AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa announced today that it will withdraw from the Iowa Medicaid managed care program, IA Health Link, effective Nov. 30. The decision came following months of negotiations that yielded no agreement on contract rates or terms, AmeriHealth said in a release. “We are proud of the work the women and men of AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa have done for the people of Iowa over the last 19 months,” said Russell Gianforcaro, regional president of AmeriHealth Caritas. The Iowa Department of Human Services said it has reached agreements with the other two IA Health Link providers, Amerigroup Iowa Inc. and UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc. The new managed care contracts represent a 3.3 percent rate increase over the first year. “This is a small increase when you compare it to national trends on healthcare spending,” DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven said in a release. “Effectively managing resources allows the Department to continue providing the broad array of services available to Iowans most in need.” The department has issued a request for proposals to recruit an additional Medicaid care organization, to be available effective July 1, 2018.