PREVENTIVE SERVICES IN A MEDICARE MANAGED CARE ENVIRONMENT

• Published in: Journal of community health Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 417 - 434
• Main Authors: Williams, Stephen J., Elder, John P., Seidman, Robert L., Mayer, Joni A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Springer Science + Business Media, Inc 01.12.1997; Human Sciences Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Alcohol Abuse; Behavior Change; Behavior Modification; California; Care and treatment; Control Groups; Demonstration Programs; Economic aspects; Environment; Experimental Groups; Female; Finance; Government programs; Health Behavior; Health Conditions; Health Education; Health Insurance; Health Maintenance Organizations; Health policy; Health promotion; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Health Services; Health Status; Humans; Immunization; Independent Living; Individual Counseling; Male; Managed care; Managed Care Programs - organization & administration; Medical sector; Medical Services; Medicare; Medicare - organization & administration; Medicine, Preventive; Old age; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Physical Fitness; Pilot Projects; Prevention; Preventive Health Services - organization & administration; Preventive medicine; Program Evaluation; Public health; Quality of Life; San Diego, California; Screening Tests; Sleep; United States; United States; California
• ISSN: 0094-5145; 1573-3610
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1025176531596

The results of a four year demonstration project of preventive services for Medicare managed care enrollees suggest that health promotion programs can impact health behaviors and outcomes. The study provided selected preventive services to 1,800 Medicare enrollees in a managed care environment. Participants were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups with the experimental group receiving an intervention service package and the control group usual care. The results included enhanced health behavior practices, lower depression, and higher immunization rates among those individuals in the experimental group. This study suggests that selected preventive services can be provided in a managed care environment to Medicare enrollees with likely positive health status and utilization outcomes.