Quality of Care for Children in Commercial and Medicaid Managed Care

Children enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans had lower rates than those in commercial plans for quality indicators such as immunization rates and well-child visits, according to a study in the September 17th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, conducted with support from The Commonwealth Fund. The findings of the study, "Quality of Care for Children in Commercial and Medicaid Managed Care," by Joseph W. Thompson, M.D., of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and colleagues, indicate the need to understand the factors that would improve quality of care for all health plan enrollees, and particularly for those who are Medicaid enrollees.