This study reports on the effect of enrollment in Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) at the time of admission to treatment on drinking behavior 6 months later. As part of the SAMHSA-CSAT cooperative agreement to study the effects of Medicaid Managed Care on alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, baseline and 6 month follow-up self-report data from adults admitted to treatment in Westchester and Bronx counties were examined (n=384). The interview contained questions from the Addiction Severity Index (McLellan), SF 12 (Ware), Risk for AIDS Behavior, Circumstance, Motivation and Readiness for Treatment (DeLeon) scales, and client characteristics such as alcohol and drug use, previous treatment history, criminal justice status, living situation, and demographics. The criterion variable for this analysis was number of days drank in the last 30 days. Bivariate analysis showed that the mean number of days that an individual drank decreased at 6 months from 6.6 at baseline compared with 2.1 at follow-up (p=0.0001). Step-wise multiple regression showed that key predictors for 6 month drinking were baseline drinking behavior, lack of employment status, poor physical health, and living with someone who abused alcohol or drugs. Membership in Medicaid managed care was not predictive of drinking outcome in this model. Results suggest that psycho-social factors accounted for a greater proportion of variance in outcome when compared with enrollment in Medicaid managed care. The inclusion of physical health as a predictor of drinking suggests that managing physical health care may be an important component in improving drinking outcomes.
Learning Objectives: After viewing this poster, the attendee will: 1. recognize the multiple factors which contribute to alcohol use after treatment 2. describe the relative contribution of Medicaid managed care to alcohol outcomes for adults in treatment 3. discuss the implications of the findings for health care delivery
Keywords: Medicaid Managed Care, Alcohol Use
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.