Kansas is asking the federal government to waive some rules so the state can overhaul its Medicaid program.

Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration submitted a request Thursday to a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that covers health care for poor families, the disabled and some elderly citizens.

Brownback plans to turn management of the state’s $2.9 billion program to three private insurance companies, having contractors handle services for the elderly and disabled for the first time.

But the state needs the federal agency to waive some rules to cover all participants through contractors and build financial incentives into those contracts.

The new contracts would be awarded this year and start Jan. 1, 2013.