Can Medi-Cal Expand Its Use of Managed Care?

California has launched a new effort to expand the use of managed care within Medi-Cal, its Medicaid program. A cornerstone of this expansion is the “two-plan” model, in which each Medi-Cal enrollee in 11 counties will choose either a private commercial plan or one organized and operated by the county. Although the two-plan model is meant to enhance enrollee choice, its implementation raises key questions about the fit between Medi-Cal and private managed care. In Medi-Cal and Managed Care: Risk, Costs, and Regional Variation, E. Kathleen Adams, Janet M. Bronstein, and Edmund R. Becker address many of these questions, including the following: