Report says Missouri managed care plans fall short on prevention

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According to the "2001 Consumers Guide: Managed Care in Missouri" re-port released March 14 by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Ser-vices, managed care plans in the state need to improve on provision of basic preventive services to their members. |ret||ret||tab|

"Because coverage of such services is subject to negotiation between the plan and the employer, both parties need to work together in structuring benefits that promote preventive services," said Gar-land Land, director of the Center for Health Information Management and Evaluation, in a press release.|ret||ret||tab|

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Immunizations, screening|ret||ret||tab|

The report indicated that an average of 52 percent of children at the age of 2 years had received all recommended im-munizations, and 26 percent of adolescents at 13 years had received them within managed care plans in Missouri. Nationally, 67 percent of children at 2 years and 37 percent of adolescents had received all recommended immunizations within managed care plans.|ret||ret||tab|

The report also addresses access to care, which is defined by whether a plan provides screening, case management and educational materials for ailments such as sickle cell disease or asthma. Of the 19 plans included in the report, only seven offer screening for asthma, the release stated. Six of the 19 plans did not provide screening for breast, ovarian or cervical cancer. |ret||ret||tab|

According to the report, 28 percent of the women enrolled in Missouri managed care plans did not receive mammograms at the recommended intervals. |ret||ret||tab|

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Patient satisfaction|ret||ret||tab|

Generally, patients are satisfied with the care they receive under managed care, according to the report. An average of 77 percent of members indicated that they received necessary care, and 74 percent were satisfied with the quality of care. Also, 90 percent were satisfied with how well their doctors communicated. But the overall satisfaction rating of the state's managed care plans, at 60 percent, was considerably lower, which Land attributed to patients' lack of satisfaction with non-medical issues such as customer service.|ret||ret||tab|

This is the fourth year the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Ser-vices has published a report on managed care plans in Missouri. The reports are intended to provide consumers with gui-dance in selecting managed care plans should they be able to choose. [[In-content Ad]]