With the report set for release shortly, I can sketch its general conclusions. We found that Medicaid beneficiaries do not understand the basic concepts of managed care and are therefore less able to adopt behaviors that allow them to benefit from the system. This lack of information can harm them. Many reported having been told they had to sign up for a plan in order to remain eligible for Medicaid. Few knew about their plans' dispute resolution and complaints procedures.
Plans fail to ensure that all enrollees obtain routine physicals.
Many did not receive the recommended physical at enrollment or at any time since joining their plan. Emergency departments were the most frequently cited source of care, even for those enrolled in managed care plans. Many cited being denied care in emergency departments, usually because they were enrolled in a health plan. Unless strong educational initiatives are taken, the managed care system will be flooded with people who cannot benefit from it because they don't know how to use it. The private nature of these plans is a disincentive to turning the Medicaid public into educated consumers.