Medicaid Managed Care - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

Background
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FAMILY"7OICES
A national grassroots nerwork of families and friends speaking
on behalf of cbildren with special bealtb care needs.
Report on the Family Voices <strong>Managed</strong> <strong>Care</strong> Survey
in.Atlanta, Denver, Des Moines~and Seattle
Family Voices is a national grassroots network of more than 12;000 families and
friends concerned about children with special health care needs, i.e. children who have a
greater need for health care services.than most children. Our members are a diverse
group, representing children with a wide variety of health conditions, from many cultures
and backgrounds living in rural, suburban and urban communities across the United States.
Because their children depend so much on health care to lead safe and happy lives, our
families have extensive experience with what works and what doesn't in health care for
children with special needs. Our members are active at all levels of health care systems,
serving in many capacities from volunteers to paid staff in hospitals, health care plans,
state Title V Children with <strong>Special</strong> Health <strong>Care</strong> Needs Programs and state <strong>Medicaid</strong>
Agencies. -Many members serve on local, state, regional and national committees working
on managed care and health care systems changes.
Family Voices believes that a strong consumer voice will promote services that
meet consumer needs, facilitate access to appropriate care for vulnerable children, and
overall, lead to better quality of care. While there has been rapid movement of many
families into managed care in both public and private sectors, there is little information on
how these managed care plans meet the special needs of children with disabilities. We
believe, in principle, that managed care has the potential for strengthening and
coordtating essential services for children with disabilities. This will only be achieved,
however, by enabling the families who face the day-to day demands of navigating complex
systems of care for their children to give direction and. feedback to the systems that serve