Effect of different types of Medicaid managed care on childhood immunization rates

Eval Health Prof. 2000 Dec;23(4):397-408. doi: 10.1177/01632780022034688.

Abstract

Medicaid managed care can improve access to prevention services, such as immunization, for low-income children. The authors studied immunization rates for 7,356 children on Medicaid in three managed care programs: primary care case management (PCCM; n = 4,605), a voluntary HMO program (n = 851), and a mandatory HMO program (n = 1,900). Immunization rates (3:3:1 series) in PCCM (78%) exceeded rates in the voluntary HMO program (71%), which in turn exceeded those in the mandatory HMO program (67%). Adjusting for race, urban residence, and gender, compared to children in PCCM, children in the voluntary HMO program were less likely to complete the 3:3:1 series (OR = 0.75, CI = 0.63, 0.90), and children in the mandatory HMO program were even less likely to complete the series (OR = 0.59, CI = 0.51, 0.68). Results differed by individual HMOs. Monitoring of outcomes for all types of managed care by Medicaid agencies is imperative to assure better disease prevention for low-income children.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Health Maintenance Organizations / organization & administration*
  • Health Services Accessibility / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Immunization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Medicaid / organization & administration*
  • Poverty
  • Preventive Health Services / statistics & numerical data*
  • United States