Managed Care Tracking System

The information in this report was collected from Jan. through July 1998. It includes descriptions of public sector managed behavioral health care programs in the 50 States & the District of Columbia. The tracking system collects information & analysis on the impact of managed care on Medicaid behavioral health services & public health & substance abuse systems. Managed care has a strong presence in public sector mental health & substance abuse program design. Medicaid is the primary vehicle by which States create & fund managed behavioral health programs.

This thoroughly revised and updated book provides a strategic and operational resource for use in planning and decision-making. The Handbook enables readers to fine-tune operation strategies by providing updates on critical managed care issues, insights to the complex managed care environment, and methods to gain and maintain cost-efficient, high quality health services. With 30 new chapters, it includes advice from managers in the field on how to succeed in every aspect of managed care including: quality management, claims and benefits administration, and managing patient demand. The Handbook is considered to be the standard resource for the managed care industry.

Among the issues confronting America is long-term care for frail, older persons and others with chronic conditions and functional limitations that limit their ability to care for themselves. Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care takes a comprehensive look at the quality of care and quality of life in long-term care, including nursing homes, home health agencies, residential care facilities, family members and a variety of others. This book describes the current state of long-term care, identifying problem areas and offering recommendations for federal and state policymakers. Who uses long-term care? How have the characteristics of this population changed over time? What paths do people follow in long term care? The committee provides the latest information on these and other key questions. This book explores strengths and limitations of available data and research literature especially for settings other than nursing homes, on methods to measure, oversee, and improve the quality of long-term care. The committee makes recommendations on setting and enforcing standards of care, strengthening the caregiving workforce, reimbursement issues, and expanding the knowledge base to guide organizational and individual caregivers in improving the quality of care.