title: Twenty-four-hour access to emergency care for children in managed care.
abstract: Children's medical emergencies occur around the clock. In years past, the emergency department, open 24 hours a day, was a familiar site for treating these emergencies. However, in today's health care environment, the scenario can be more confusing. As many families move from a fee-for-service system into a managed care organization (MCO), they may be unclear about what they should do in an emergency involving their child. MCOs want to provide appropriate care, and at the same time, operate within a system designed to contain costs through the establishment of effective health care delivery systems. Providers of emergency services, including specialists in pediatric medicine and emergency medical services responders, also must contend with a different set of problems, including administrative entanglements and concerns about reimbursement for their services. This article continues the white paper series by the Emergency Medical Services for Children Managed Care Task Force.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) National Resource Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. jmwilliams@emscnrc.com
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Moody-Williams
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linzer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Athey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States