RESEARCH AGENDA: Managed Care

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation sponsored an expert meeting on research related to managed care and people with disabilities. This day long meeting was the second of an ongoing series of expert meetings on disability topic areas that DALTCP is considering for inclusion in its research agenda. National experts who are academicians, researchers, and service providers versed in the topic area were brought together with representatives of related federal agencies. Their charge was to review the implications of the movement toward managed health care for people with physical and mental disabilities; and flesh out a program of research and demonstration which improves our understanding of the impact of managed care on people with disabilities and how it can become more responsive to their needs. In particular, we asked their help to: (1) assess the benefits and risks that managed care may pose to people with disabilities; (2) identify key policy concerns that the Federal Government and states must consider in designing managed care initiatives for people with disabilities; (3) highlight relevant research that has been done or is currently underway; and (4) suggest policy relevant projects and studies which ASPE might pursue. This package includes the background paper which was used for discussion purposes at the meeting and a report of the meeting proceedings. [37 PDF pages]