Case management in the social health maintenance organization demonstrations

In this article, case management departments and roles during the early years of the social health maintenance organization (S/HMO) demonstrations are compared. These organizations provide acute and chronic care services under a prepaid plan for the elderly. Eligibility criteria for case management and chronic care services at each site are compared, followed by a description of the resultant case mix of members receiving chronic care benefits. Case managers principal activities are described, and a preliminary assessment is made about the strength of the linkages that have been developed between the case management component of these plans and the larger health care system.