Elizabeth S. Hauser, RN, PhD Richard B. Warnecke, PhD Susan Kerby, MA Charles Bright, BA
Survey Research Laboratory College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs University of Illinois at Chicago
Abstract
On May 2, 1995 the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Cities Initiative, in collaboration with Bethany Hospital in Chicago, a member of the Advocate group of hospitals, brought together local policy makers, researchers, health care providers and consumers in an all-day working conference on the effective and efficient management of sickle cell disease (SCD), asthma and tuberculosis (TB). Management of these three diseases is a major health problem facing state and local governments as they attempt to move the Medicaid population into a capitated system.
Some health care providers propose that such conditions, which are costly and often difficult to control, be exempt from capitated models of health care. However, participants in this conference recommended that these three conditions can best be treated within a Medicaid capitated system if it allows for adequate provider and client education; service coordination among the health care, school and community systems; alternative models of health care delivery; and other specialty referral services. A successful Medicaid capitated system would reduce unnecessary medical costs, such as repeated diagnostic tests, improve health outcomes and reduce the public’s risk of contracting communicable diseases such as TB.