title: Medicaid managed care and STDs: missed opportunities to control the epidemic.
abstract: We examined the extent to which selected Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) promoted certain prevention and control services for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the potential influence of health plans and medical groups on the delivery of STD care by primary care providers (PCPs) in seven large U.S. cities. Low-cost clinical services were routinely performed by PCPs, but higher-cost services were less often provided. Lack of organizational priority to promote STD prevention and control is a major barrier even for those MCOs that serve this high-risk, low-income population. Stronger incentives and legally binding provisions in Medicaid contracts are needed to promote adherence to standards of STD care.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Health Policy Research, USA.
authors.forename: Nadereh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pourat
authors.forename: E Richard
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Razack
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kassler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006293:Health Promotion; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D015995:Prevalence; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000592:standards; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health