IMS Study Examines Impact of States Shifting Patients to Managed Medicaid Plans
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Nearly half of all Medicaid prescriptions are now being filled through Managed Medicaid plans, as states switch patients from the Fee-for-Service model in an effort to improve patient care and curb the growth of healthcare costs, according to a new IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics report. The study, , which is being presented today at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, examines prescription drug utilization in four states that have experienced a dramatic shift to Managed Medicaid plans since 2011.
The IMS Institute report, which focuses on Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Ohio, compares changes in the use of antipsychotic, respiratory and diabetes medications between patients who switched to Managed Medicaid plans and those who remain in Fee-for-Service plans. While early signs indicate that shifting Medicaid beneficiaries to Managed Medicaid programs is affecting some care received by patients, the lack of consistent and measurable change suggests that states’ efforts to bring better care at lower costs to their Medicaid beneficiaries has yet to be fully realized.
“Managed Medicaid is seen by many states as a way to deliver better preventive care at a lower cost, and recent actions to reduce use of Fee-for-Service plans has been significant,” said Murray Aitken, executive director, IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics. “While it is still early days, our research reveals some important signs of impact.”
Among the report’s findings:
“The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy is encouraged to see the positive results of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics study on patients receiving care through Managed Medicaid programs,” said Edith A. Rosato, RPh, IOM, CEO of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. “Given the variability in state programs, Managed Medicaid plans will need to be continually evaluated. Initial findings suggest that patients could be better managed in these programs, particularly when the drug benefit is carved into a state’s managed care plan rather than maintained in a Fee-for-Service program.”
Added Aitken, “As states take on more responsibility with expanded Medicaid enrollment and management of exchanges in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act, their direct and indirect impact on patient care will be subject to closer scrutiny. Measuring and assessing the consequences of their actions on patient care will become more vital to this critical healthcare program.”
The full report is available at . The study was produced independently as a public service, without industry or government funding.
The IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics provides key policy setters and decision makers in the global health sector with unique and transformational insights into healthcare dynamics derived from granular analysis of information. It is a research-driven entity with a worldwide reach that collaborates with external healthcare experts from across academia and the public and private sectors to objectively apply IMS’s proprietary global information and analytical assets. More information about the IMS Institute can be found at: .
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