This week, our In Focus section reviews two reports made available by the Texas Association of Health Plans (TAHP) that found improvements to access and quality of care as well as cost savings under the state’s Medicaid managed care programs. The reports, prepared for TAHP by Milliman and Sellers Dorsey, focus on the STAR and STAR+PLUS programs, including pharmacy and dental benefit carve-ins. The STAR program is a traditional Medicaid managed care program focusing on the children and families populations, while STAR+PLUS provides managed care to the aged, blind & disabled (ABD) populations, including dual eligibles and individuals receiving long-term supports and services (LTSS). The reports found an estimated $3.8 billion in savings from FY 2010 through FY 2015, as compared to estimated fee-for-service costs, and double-digit percentage reductions in hospital admissions for a number of conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and GI infections.