For-profit Medicaid managed care plans provide less care according to study, Implications for return to capitation in HUSKY

A study published in Medical Care Research and Review in April found that access to health care is lower for Medicaid managed care members in for-profit HMOs than for those enrolled in nonprofit plans. The author found that members of for-profit plans were 14% less likely to have had a doctor visit in the last year (statistically significant) and 6% more likely to report an unmet need for medical care and for prescription drugs (not significant). More research needs to be done. However, this study does suggest that moving 337,181 HUSKY consumers back to capitated HMOs, including two for-profit companies, on July 1st is unwise. Another reason to delay re-contracting HUSKY.
Ellen Andrews