Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Muskie School of Public Service
First Advisor
Dr. Brenda Zollitsch
Second Advisor
Becca Matusovich
Abstract
Case management takes a comprehensive and coordinated approach to providing healthcare for patients who often have complex or chronic needs. It began as a practice in medical care in the early 1900s, and it has roots in both social welfare and public health. The evolution and formalization in the U.S. medical care system can be traced over time: the earliest practitioners were nurses and social workers engaging with charitable organizations; expansion of some services followed the introduction of general welfare benefits in the Social Security Act and workers’ compensation insurance (1930s); insurance companies began covering services to assist World War II veterans who returned home with complex injuries that required specialized care (1940s); demonstration projects tested by Medicaid and Medicare explored new processes and promoted broader application (1970s); and private insurance payers soon developed similar programs in an effort to contain costs (1980s). The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 significantly expanded the practice of case management through provisions focused on greater care coordination and accountable care organizations.1 While case management has ha
Recommended Citation
Williams, Molly S., "RECONSIDERING “LUXURY” BONES: COMPREHENDING THE CAPACITY FOR CARE COORDINATION IN MAINE’S ORAL HEALTH POLICY ENVIRONMENT" (2025). All Student Scholarship. 484.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/etd/484
