More and more states are offering Medicaid managed care, with more than half of all Medicaid beneficiaries now receiving their care this way, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

And it’s growing, not only in numbers of people served and the areas it serves, but also the complexity of beneficiaries’ health statuses.

Some of the plans are for-profit, others are nonprofit. Both bear financial risk for caring for a complex and vulnerable population that has grown as states have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Kristen Schorsch of Crain’s Chicago Business has written an AHCJ tip sheet to explain how her state of Illinois is looking at Medicaid Managed Care as one way to restrain health care spending – or at the very least, making spending more predictable. Schorsch has some practical tips on what to ask and how to find documents and data as you report on this subject in your state.

In addition to the tip sheet, check out this Kaiser Family Foundation tracker on Medicaid Managed Care.