Journal Article The Expanding Role of Managed Care in the Medicaid Program
Subtitle
Implications for Health Care Access, Use, and Expenditures for Nonelderly Adults
Kyle J. Caswell, Sharon K. Long
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States increasingly use managed care for Medicaid enrollees, yet evidence of its impact on health care outcomes is mixed. This research studies county-level Medicaid managed care (MMC) penetration and health care outcomes among nonelderly disabled and nondisabled enrollees. Results for nondisabled adults show that increased penetration is associated with increased probability of an emergency department visit, difficulty seeing a specialist, and unmet need for prescription drugs, and is not associated with reduced expenditures. We find no association between penetration and health care outcomes for disabled adults. This suggests that the primary gains from MMC may be administrative simplicity and budget predictability for states rather than reduced expenditures or improved access for individuals.

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Research Areas Health and health care Disability equity policy
Tags Health care delivery and payment Health equity Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program  Disability and long-term care Health care systems and managed care plans
Policy Centers Health Policy Center