AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to outsource part of the state’s Medicaid application process will cost the state more.

The Bangor Daily News reports that the LePage administration acknowledges in a publicly posted contract document that there will be a “slight increase in cost.”

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services in June will eliminate the positions of 10 state employees and enter into a $5.6 million, 25-month contract with a division of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The agency didn’t respond to request for comment.

The newspaper’s review of budget documents says the move will cost $300,000 each year.

The school’s division will determine whether people are disabled to qualify for state-funded health coverage. The state chose the vendor without asking for bids from competitors.

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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangordailynews.com