Replication of a managed health care initiative for people with mental retardation living in the community

To improve understanding of the cost-effectiveness of a managed health care program for individuals with mental retardation, we have described financing, utilization, and outcomes of the Developmental Disabilities Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The costs and benefits of health care coordination, a key feature of this program, were discussed. Under this model, annual, unreimbursed costs of health care coordination in 1989 averaged $668 for people with severe mental retardation. However, the total reimbursable costs of inpatient care were reduced. In addition, medical outcome data from ongoing research projects suggest that the program has been an important vehicle for improving the health of people with mental retardation in the community. The costs, revenues, and financing of this program were presented in order to assist candidate sites in the replication of this model. The role of this type of program in health care reform was discussed.