Low-income Californians' experiences with health insurance and managed care

California is rapidly implementing mandatory managed care for most of its Medicaid (Medi-Cal) beneficiaries. To assess the impact of this delivery system change, the authors analyzed a 1996 statewide population-based random-sample telephone survey of 3,563 adults between the ages of 18 and 64. Respondents with Medi-Cal managed care and Medi-Cal fee-for-service rated access to care and quality of care significantly higher than uninsured respondents yet lower than low-income privately insured individuals. While the authors did not find a difference in health care access and quality among Medi-Cal managed care enrollees compared with Medi-Cal fee-for-service enrollees, they also did not find that managed care provided any observed advantages to Medi-Cal recipients.