Legislative findings and intent.

The Legislature hereby finds that the Medicaid program has experienced an annual growth rate of approximately 28 percent per year for the past 5 years, and is consuming more than half of all new general revenue growth. The present Medicaid system must be reoriented to emphasize, to the maximum extent possible, the delivery of health care through entities and mechanisms which are designed to contain costs, to emphasize preventive and primary care, and to promote access and continuity of care. The Legislature further finds that the concept of “managed care” best encompasses these multiple goals. The Legislature also finds that, with the cooperation of the physician community, MediPass, the Medicaid primary care case management program, is responsible for ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of primary care to provide access to preventive and primary care services to Medicaid recipients. Therefore, the Legislature declares its intent that the Medicaid program require, to the maximum extent practicable and permitted by federal law, that all Medicaid recipients be enrolled in a managed care program.