Nonprofit ownership and quality in Medicaid's longterm care program for persons with developmental disabilities

To assess ownership-related differences in the Intermediate Care Facility Program for persons with Mental Retardation (ICF/MR) Industry, this article analyzes a nationally representative sample of data on Medicaid certified facilities from the Health Care Financing Administration On-line Survey and Certification Reporting System. This study found that nonprofit providers provided a higher level of quality than for-profit facilities when organizational size and facility-mix were controlled. The size and case-mix composition of these facilities were also influenced by nonprofit ownership type. Nonprofit providers offered smaller facilities, on average, and were more likely to enroll heavy case-mix residents than their for-profit counterparts.