Ensuring Access to Care for Children and Parents in HUSKY A: Alternatives to Managed Care

Despite some improvements in health care utilization for children in HUSKY in the past 10 years, access to care remains problematic. Many children do not get the preventive care they need, and many families have difficulty making appointments with providers. Increasing the very low Medicaid reimbursement rates for health care providers could help to attract more providers to participate in the program. There is a promising alternative to care managed by for-profit entities that contract with the State of Connecticut and are paid in advance for providing health care, whether or not care is actually provided. This is alternative is care managed by primary care providers. This option is particularly promising in those parts of the state with relatively low provider participation in the existing managed care program.