AAHP Releases New Report on Medicaid Managed Care
Karen Ignagni, the president and CEO of the American Association of Health Plans, suggested yesterday that the federal government should assume all Medicaid payments for a limited period of time to help states cope with their budget deficits, CongressDaily reports. "We're looking at ways in which we can depart from convention," Ignagni said. Her remarks came after a news briefing to unveil a new AAHP report on how managed care plans can reduce Medicaid program costs and improve beneficiary health through preventive programs and coordination of care. Although the percentage of the Medicaid population enrolled in managed care plans has climbed from 10% in 1990 to 56% in 2000, former New Mexico Medicaid Director Charles Milligan said that some states with new governors have reservations about Medicaid managed care. "There's a heavy enough concern about managed care ... to wonder whether it's worth the effort ... on political grounds," Milligan said at the briefing, adding, "Our challenge is to continue to make the business case that not only does it achieve cost savings but a return to fee-for-service would be detrimental to (this population's) health care," he said(CongressDaily, 2/20). The new AAHP report, "Medical Innovations in Medicaid Managed Care," is available at online. A policy brief released last year, "Enrollment and Plan Participation Trends in Medicaid Managed Care," also is available online. Note: You will need Abode Acrobat Reader to view both documents.
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