"Managed care" is like a steam-roller that is gathering increasing momentum in discussions of "long-term care" in developmental disabilities. There is a danger that managed care will be implemented without careful planning and attention to basic values that should underlie services to people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Because of uncertainties and concerns about managed care, a number of us joined together to develop the following position statement on managed care. This statement was developed initially by Jan Nisbet, Jay Klein (Home of Your Own Project), and Don Shumway (Putting People First program, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) of the University of New Hampshire, John O'Brien of Responsive Systems Associates, and the Center on Human Policy. Subsequent revisions were based on suggestions by Dennis Harkins of Wisconsin's Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services, John Agosta and Mady Kimmich of the Human Services Research Institute, Patty Smith of the National Parent Network on Disabilities, Charlie Lakin and Bob Prouty of the University of Minnesota, Cathy Ficker-Terrill of the Ray Graham Association, Janna Starr of the United Cerebral Palsy Association, Stan Herr of the University of Maryland at Baltimore Clinical Law Office, and Gary Smith of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, Inc. (although these persons do not necessarily endorse the wording of the final version).

If you would like to lend your support to this statement, please contact the Center on Human Policy.

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