title: Caring for patients under Medicaid mandatory managed care: perspectives of primary care physicians.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of primary care physicians caring for Medicaid recipients in a demonstration mandatory health maintenance organization (HMO) managed care program. The authors collected data through semistructured individual or focus group interviews with 14 physicians and through interviews with the chief executive officers of the three HMOs participating in the demonstration program. Interview questions, developed initially from a review of the literature, addressed physicians' experiences as primary care providers for Medicaid recipients under traditional fee-for-service and under managed care arrangements through the demonstration program. Four themes emerged: providers' hassles and burdens, the complex needs of Medicaid patients, improved access to care under managed care, and individual providers' disconnect from the processes of health policy implementation and program evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Rosemary V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Chaudry
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Brandon
authors.forename: Carolyn R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: R Stephen
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Nancy B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Schoeps
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D008484:Medicaid / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009657:North Carolina; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States