Medicaid managed care: interpreting survey data within and across states

This paper uses household survey data from four states to examine whether perceptions are sensitive to differences in state implementation and unique to Medicaid managed care. The study finds survey data provide valuable insight into system performance, but are less likely to provide targeted measures of programs' specific features. Also, the perception of Medicaid managed care relative to other insurance differs among states. Thus, survey data and case study information from interviews, documents, and administrative data provide complementary insights. Effective oversight of Medicaid managed care can benefit by using both kinds of information together.