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Focus Areas
Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction (with health care?) is intimately tied to quality of care. In order to provide a complete picture of Florida Medicaid, FCMU conducts annual surveys of Medicaid enrollees in order to monitor satisfaction over time. These surveys are based upon the CAHPS Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey instrument. Survey reports present analyses of the characteristics and experiences of Florida Medicaid enrollees.
The first in a new series of Satisfaction Chart Books was created in 2005, and published in early 2006. This chart book examines adult satisfaction with the Medicaid program, between its component programs and among various demographic groups.
- March 2001 - "Florida Medicaid Managed Care- Analysis of Enrollment Procedures and Choice Counseling"
- January 2002 - "Evaluation of the Florida Medicaid MediPass Program" [Steingraber]
- June 2002 - "Evaluation of the Florida Medicaid MediPass Program ADDENDUM - Reweighted Results" [Steingraber]
- June 2003 - "Comparing Satisfaction with Care among MediPass and HMO Enrollees in Florida Medicaid" [FCMU General]
- June 2004 - "2004 Medicaid Enrollment Survey" [FCMU General]
- September 2004 - "Medicaid Managed Care Switchers - Characteristics and Reasons for Switching" [FCMU General]
- March 2006 - CHARTBOOK - "Florida Medicaid Adult Enrollee Satisfaction: A Chartbook (Comparing Managed Care Arrangements and Fee for Service, 2004)"
Access
A primary focus of FCMU research is access to health care, particularly for Florida"s vulnerable populations, including Medicaid recipients and the uninsured. Lack of access is partially a problem of uninsurance. Providing a clear picture of access to care, the state of uninsurance, and the impact of Medicaid on access to care helps promote the development of evidence-based policies and programs to address the problem. Also see "The Florida Health Insurance Study" below.
- June 2004 - "MediPass Primary Care Physician Network Analysis: Primary Findings" [FCMU General]
- June 2004 - "The Florida Medicaid MediPass Program: Current Issues" [FCMU General]
- December 2005 - "Utilization Analysis of the Minority Physician Network and Provider Service Network Programs" [FCMU General]
Quality of Care and Disease Management
When considering health care for Florida"s vulnerable populations, it is not only important to ensure access to care, but also that the care available is of high quality. FCMU has conducted a variety of studies looking at overall quality of care within Medicaid, as well as the quality of care for enrollees with specific chronic conditions, including sickle cell disease.
- March 2001 - "An Analysis of Medicaid Private Duty Nursing for Children with Special Health Care Needs" [Shenkman]
- April 2004 - "Evaluation of Florida"s Minority Physician Network (MPN) Program" [Lemak, Hall, Johnson]
- May 2004 - "The Florida KidCare Evaluation Series: Florida"s Medicaid Program for Children: MediPass and HMO, 2003" [Nogle, Shenkman]
- June 2004 - "Development of a Program to Improve the Management of Medicaid Recipients with Sickle Cell Disease in Florida" [Lottenberg]
- June 2004 - "Provider Profiling: Implementation Issues within Florida MediPass" [FCMU General]
- October 2004 - "The Identification and Treatment of Medicaid Recipients with Hepatitis C" [Lipowski, Segal]
Mental Health
Emotional and psychological health is a powerful component of overall health. Mental health services and the mental health status of patients dealing with chronic diseases or traumatic medical conditions are important areas of research if we are to provide a complete picture of Medicaid in the state of Florida. FCMU affiliates have explored associations between adolescent ADD/ADHD and "risky" behaviors by analyzing Medicaid claims data.
- June 2004 - "Adolescent ADD/ADHD and Risky Behavior: Prevalence, Odds, and Health-Care Costs" [Youngblade]
Florida Health Insurance Study
FCMU has been a collaborative partner in the ongoing Florida Health Insurance Study. This study is a government funded project aimed at describing the state of uninsurance in Florida in order to develop initiatives to provide access to health care for Florida"s growing uninsured population.
A tremendous body of data was gathered through this study. FCMU has published a series of reports and issue briefs from FHIS 1999 and FHIS 2004 which interpret and present this data in eay-to-read formats.
- November 2004 - "Highlights from the 2004 Florida Health Insurance Study"
- February 2005 - "A Profile of Uninsured Floridians - Findings from the 2004 Florida Health Insurance Study"
- March 2005 - "Focus Group Findings - FHIS"
- March 2005 - "Key Informant Interview Findings - FHIS"
- July 2005 - "The Florida Health Insurance Study 2004 - Telephone Survey Findings"
- August 2005 - "Comparative Findings from the 1999 and 2004 Florida Health Insurance Studies"
- August 2005 - "County Estimates of People without Health Insurance from the 2004 Florida Health Insurance Study"
- August 2005 - "Zip Code Estimates of People without Health Insurance from the 2004 Florida Health Insurance Study"
Medicaid Reform
In December 2005, the Florida Medicaid Reform plan proposed by Governor Jeb Bush was approved for implementation in Florida. FCMU will be a collaborative partner in evaluating the implementation of reform in the state of Florida.