Topeka — The Kansas official overseeing the state’s privatized Medicaid program is departing as the state prepares to ask the federal government to extend the program past 2018.

The Department of Health and Environment announced Friday that Mike Randol would step down as Medicaid director.

Spokeswoman Angela de Rocha could not say exactly when Randol will leave.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that KDHE Secretary Susan Mosier praised Randol’s service to the Medicaid program. He has been director since 2012.

The announcement of Randol’s departure came the same day KDHE announced that it would wait until next week to release its plan for the privatized Medicaid program going forward. The release date had been Friday.

But de Rocha said the delay was tied to legal issues and not Randol’s departure.