Managed Care & Developmental Disabilities: Reconciling the Realities of Managed Care With the Individual Needs of Persons With Disabilities

The objectives of managed care--cost containment, efficiency, and uniformity--seem to be at odds with the individualized habilitation goals of persons with disabilities. Person-centered planning and self-determination require individuality and flexibility--not traditional strengths of managed care plans. But, like it or not, managed care is here to stay. How the field of disabilities meets the challenge of managed health care in the beginning of the next century will determine to a large extent how well it meets the unique and complex needs of persons with disabilities. Dale Mitchell traces the advent of managed care in the U.S. from both the acute and long-term care perspective, analyzes the forces at work in government and the health care industry, points to the likely future outcomes, and suggests ways to prepare for and make the most of the far-reaching and significant changes to come for the field of developmental disabilities. "Managed Care & Developmental Disabilities" is a must-read for anyone concerned with the future of health care for persons with disabilities, as well as the quality and cost of that care.