MEDICAID MANAGED CARE AND COMMUNITY PROVIDERS - NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Growing enrollment in managed care plans among Medicaid recipients rep resents a new market for these plans but presents challenges to those providers that traditionally have served this population. To continue serving Medicaid patients, community-based providers must develop cont racts or other types of partnerships with Medicaid-contracting health plans. This paper reviews the challenges to such collaboration and dis cusses the practical issues that plans and community-based providers m ust resolve to develop productive working relationships. Keys to succe ssful collaboration are identified. Ways in which federal and state go vernments can help the collaborative process are suggested.