Through agency and independent study, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has identified that, compared to Hispanic and White enrollees, a disproportionately higher rate of African-American Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) enrollees ages 20 and younger are receiving no care under the managed care program or are receiving only emergency room or inpatient hospital care The goal of this study is to understand the difference in the rate that African Americans MMC enrollees access care compared to the rate for Hispanics and Whites, which include differences related to immunization rates.
The HHSC Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities is contracting with CSWR researchers to assist with implementing a component of the Texas Model for Addressing Disproportionality in Child Welfare. The Texas Community Engagement Model is a four-stage process that uses a series of meetings and trainings with providers, community leaders, and class members to have conversations about issues affecting access to care from the perspective of class members and community and to develop and achieve desired and measurable outputs and outcomes.
Additionally, The UT team will develop an evaluation plan to assess the needs of African American MMC enrollees in Harris and Travis County, as well as the status of social services programs in meeting those needs. Data will be collected by survey and through interviews with key informants.