Improving access to specialty care for Medicaid patients: policy issues and options
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Felland, Laurie E., author Leachner, Amanda E., author Sommers, Anna, author
- Contributor(s):
- Commonwealth Fund, issuing body.
- Publication:
- New York, N.Y. : Commonwealth Fund, 2013
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Health Services Accessibility Medicaid Patient Care Management Primary Health Care Medical Informatics Physicians, Primary Care Quality of Health Care Referral and Consultation Role Humans United States United States.
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- In some states and communities, Medicaid programs, health plans, providers, and others are collaborating to improve timely access to medical and surgical specialty services for Medicaid enrollees. This report examines six models--in Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee--that support innovative ways of delivering specialty care and help ensure specialty referrals for Medicaid patients are appropriate and efficient. Strategies include finding ways for specialty providers to deliver care at primary care facilities, expanding the role of primary care providers to deliver specialty care, and employing staff to communicate and coordinate care across providers. Although resources remain limited, participating organizations report better access to specialty care for Medicaid patients and early signs of improvements in quality and costs of care. However, sustaining, expanding, and replicating these models may require changes in Medicaid payment methods that recognize new types of interactions with patients beyond face-to-face visits.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (23 pages))
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101611273 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101611273