Medicaid Guide Evaluation
The California Department of Health Care Services had a challenge: How to clarify the options available to seniors and people with disabilities who have Medicaid (Medi-Cal). Unlike most people with Medi-Cal, these beneficiaries can choose between managed care or regular, fee-for-service, Medi-Cal. The state asked Health Research for Action to develop a guidebook to explain these often complex options.
To evaluate the guidebook, HRA conducted a randomized control trial in three counties, using a telephone survey to look at knowledge and behavior change from the guidebook. In the survey, we found that people who received the guidebook significantly improved their knowledge about Medi-Cal choices and benefits, compared with people who did not receive a guidebook. They also felt more confident about their ability to choose a plan that best suits their needs.
To confirm these findings, we also did focus groups with people who received the guidebook and with people who provide services to those on Medi-Cal. Both those groups supported the usefulness of the guidebook (both affected individuals and providers). Finally, we analyzed the impact of distributing the guidebook to seniors and people with disabilities in three counties, and compared it to 11 other California counties. In the counties that received the guidebook, more seniors or people with disabilities changed to managed care than in the other counties.