Medicaid managed care and low-income women: implications for access and satisfaction

Draws on the Kaiser/Commonwealth Five-State Low-Income Survey to compare personal & household characteristics, health status, access to care, health care use, & satisfaction with care among 2,976 women (in FL, MN, OR, TN, & TX) participating in three different health care systems: (1) Medicaid managed care; (2) traditional fee-for-service Medicaid; & (3) private managed care. Results indicate Medicaid women are the most economically disadvantaged & are more likely to have dependent children; they also report poorer health than privately insured women. While similar access to care was reported among the groups, women on Medicaid reported more barriers & were more likely to express dissatisfaction with care. It is concluded that Medicaid managed care has not demonstrated any significant improvements over fee-for-service care, but the potential to achieve better results is recognized. 4 Tables, 2 Figures, 14 References. T. Noland