Environmental management of asthma at Massachusetts managed care organizations

Asthma management staff at eight Massachusetts managed care organizations (MCOs) were interviewed to learn the extent of inclusion of environmental prevention strategies in their asthma disease management policies. Six of the plans had formal asthma disease management programs, all reported to be based on the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute guidelines, but none followed these guidelines in their entirety. Three MCOs provided for home visits that included addressing environmental factors for severe asthmatics. Despite the limited role that MCOs appear to play in environmental prevention of asthma, the authors identify opportunities and encourage efforts to expand these programs.