Managed Care Organization

Organización de Atención Médica Administrada

In 9 languages

LanguageTerm
EnglishManaged Care Organization
Spanish (Español) Organización de Atención Médica Administrada
Chinese (中文) 管理式医疗机构
Korean (한국어) 관리형 의료 기관
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) Tổ chức chăm sóc có quản lý
Filipino (Tagalog) Managed Care Organization
Portuguese (Português) Organização de cuidados gerenciados
Thai (ภาษาไทย) องค์กรการดูแลสุขภาพแบบจัดการ
Japanese (日本語) 管理型医療機関

What it means

A Managed Care Organization (MCO) is a health plan or entity that coordinates and delivers medical services through a contracted provider network, using tools such as prior authorization, care management, utilization review, and referral requirements to control costs and improve quality. Many state Medicaid programs contract with MCOs to administer benefits for enrolled members. MCOs operate under various models—HMOs require a primary care gatekeeper, PPOs allow more flexibility. Members typically receive a member handbook, a provider directory, and a benefits summary specific to their MCO. If you are enrolled in Medicaid through an MCO, your benefits are administered by that organization rather than directly by the state.

How to say it

Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:

MCO—managed care organization

organización de atención médica administrada

Medicaid managed care health plan

plan de salud de atención administrada de Medicaid

HMO or PPO type managed care plan

tipo de plan HMO o PPO de atención administrada

Where you'll see it

Medicaid managed care enrollment letterplan Evidence of Coverageprovider directory bookletprior authorization request form

Related terms

Sources

US Glossary Español A–Z US Codes United States

Last reviewed: September 2026