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283059
Health care experiences of Medicare/Medicaid-eligible adults with disabilities in Connecticut: A qualitative study


Sunday, November 3, 2013

Pamela Higgins, MS, MPH, CPH, Ethel Donaghue Center for Translating Research into Practice and Policy, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Noreen Shugrue, JD, MBA, MA, Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Kelly Ruiz, MA, Center on Aging, Univeristy of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
Julie Robison, PhD, Center on Aging, Univeristy of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT
In accordance with the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded “State Demonstration Grants to Fully Integrate Care for Dual Eligible Individuals” (Medicare and Medicaid) to 15 states, including Connecticut. To inform the design of an integrated health and social service demonstration program to better coordinate care for Connecticut's dually eligible individuals ages 18 to 64 with physical, developmental and/or mental health disabilities, researchers conducted five statewide focus groups with 45 individuals; one with persons with developmental disabilities; one with parents of persons with developmental disabilities; one with case managers, nurses, and residential managers; one with persons with psychiatric disabilities; and one with persons with physical disabilities. Results from the wide range of experience and opinion clustered in four domains: current experiences, care coordination, consumer protection, and elements of an ideal health care and service program. Findings concern satisfaction with and ability to find medical care, medication management, transition issues including hospital to home and pediatric care to adult care, and the critical role of care managers. Significant issues noted include difficulty of finding providers who accept Medicare/Medicaid and understand the needs of individuals with mental health and developmental disabilities, medication management, and lack of care coordination. Desired elements of an ideal system include greater choice in medical and home care providers, increased coordination among providers and between medical and home care services, and increased support for 24-hour care coordination. Findings highlight the policy implications of designing a person-centered, integrated, and coordinated dual coverage system.

Learning Areas:

Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the healthcare experiences and concerns of dually eligible individuals with disabilities ages 18 to 64 as consumers of the joint Medicare/Medicaid healthcare system. Assess the policy implications of designing a person-centered, integrated, and coordinated dual coverage system.

Keyword(s): Policy/Policy Development, Medicare/Medicaid

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been on the research/evaluation team for several federally funded grants focusing on integrating care for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees, removing barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities, and assessing the health care needs of the unisured and underserved population.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.