Medicaid Beneficiaries In Managed Care

Almost one in four Medicaid beneficiaries in the USA is enrolled in managed care plans, according to the Clinton administration, which noted that an increase of three million in the past year was caused by a need by both the states and the federal government to expand coverage and stretch the health care dollar. Nearly eight million are enrolled in such programs now.

The federal government has also granted states waivers to start managed care demonstration projects and another eight are pending. The Health Care Financing Administration requires that Medicaid managed care plans cost no more than the federal government would pay for comparable fee-for-service care.