SoonerCare 1115 Waiver Evaluation

Publication Date: January 2009

Publisher: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Author(s): Thomas Bell; Vivian Byrd; Mindy Lipson; Victoria Perez

Research Area: Health

Keywords: 1115 Waiver; Health Care; SoonerCare Choice; Oklahoma

Type: Report

Abstract:

Oklahoma's Medicaid managed care 1115 waiver program, SoonerCare, has been through many changes in the last 15 years, including the end of fully capitated managed care in 2003 and expansion statewide of the SoonerCare Choice enhanced primary care case management program.

Mathematica's evaluation found that SoonerCare managed care has contributed to improvements in access to care from 1995 through 2008, especially for children, although some aspects of access still lag behind national averages or could be significantly improved. Physician participation has improved substantially in recent years, and preventable hospitalizations among adults have declined. In addition, Medicaid costs per member in Oklahoma were substantially below the national average between 1996 and 2005.