Prior studies suggest that linkages between WIC and Medicaid providers can facilitate joint enrollment of beneficiaries and promote utilization of immunizations and other preventive services provided through WIC, Medicaid, and public health departments. The rising proportion of Medicaid and WIC beneficiaries required to enroll in capitated managed care plans has created new challenges for state and local WIC programs to coordinate health, nutrition, and social support services for vulnerable populations. This paper reports and compares the results of two national surveys of state WIC program directors conducted in 1997 and 1999 to track coordination efforts between WIC, Medicaid, and comprehensive managed care plans. Data from 36 states participating in both surveys indicate that while most state programs have mechanisms to refer participants to Medicaid and vice versa, relatively few state WIC programs have formal arrangements with managed care plans to coordinate services or receive reimbursements. Barriers to coordination between WIC and managed care can be overcome, but public health departments and Medicaid agencies need to be involved, as visits to several state and local WIC programs suggest.
Learning Objectives: Identify three benefits to women, infants and children from coordination of WIC and managed care plans. Describe an important mechanism used by state Medicaid programs to promote coordination between WIC and managed care plans. Discuss barriers faced by state WIC programs in establishing collaborations with managed care plans
Keywords: WIC, Managed Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.