How kind is managed care to the chronically ill?
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) has teamed up with the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) to study how people with long-term health problems fare under managed care.
Six research teams have received a total of $8.5 million to conduct investigations over a three-year period. The study populations represent a cross-section of Americans, including persons with low income who suffer from chronic illnesses.
The projects are being conducted under the auspices of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), sister agency of the Rockville, MD-based AHCPR, and the American Association of Health Plans Foundation, the Washington, DC-based research arm of the AAHP.
Research populations cross age barriers, as investigations study the care of diabetic retinopathy, asthma, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. "Finding out how we can use managed care practices to improve health outcomes will help us assure longer, better lives for millions of Americans, especially children with special needs, says Earl Fox, MD, MPH, administrator of HRSA. Participating health plans include United Health Care, Kaiser Permanente, and Pacificare.
The central question of this research, states John M. Eisenberg, MD, administrator of AHCPR, is "not whether fee-for-service or managed care is better. The question is whether there are some aspects of managed care that are helpful and some that are harmful, especially to people with chronic diseases." According to the AHCPR, 90 million Americans — one of every three — has one or more chronic conditions. These conditions account for one of every six dollars spent on health care.
This group of studies is part of AHCPR’s effort to build a base of scientifically sound evidence to inform clinical, public policy, and health care system decisions related to quality of care.
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