Medicaid Plans' Community Outreach Efforts Starting to Bear Fruit
<p>As states increasingly shift Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care, many are calling for greater accountability for access to care, quality of services, health outcomes, and efficiency in care delivery. </p><p>In a new <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2013/apr/forging-community-partnerships-improve-health-care-experience">Commonwealth Fund report,</a> researchers Sharon Silow-Carroll and Diana Rodin report on the efforts of four managed care organizations (MCOs) that are forging community partnerships to meet the needs of vulnerable Medicaid patients and others in their communities. The MCOs―Gateway Health Plan in Pennsylvania, HealthPartners in Minnesota, L.A. Care in California, and Neighborhood Health Plan in Massachusetts―share common goals: improving access to care and coordination of services, preventing illness, and reducing disparities.</p>
<p>Read <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2013/apr/forging-community-partnerships-improve-health-care-experience">the report</a> to learn about how these plans are engaging social services organizations, local retailers, and other service providers to deliver counseling on illness prevention, nutrition, and self-care; hold classes on parenting, exercise, and first aid; provide team-based, integrated care in homes and day centers; and fund expansions of local dental clinics. </p>