This document discusses the evolution of Medicaid managed care in the United States from 1965 to 2005. It summarizes that initially, only a few states experimented with Medicaid managed care, with California's efforts leading to calls for reform due to low quality of care. In response, federal policymakers independently enacted laws in the 1970s and 1980s to regulate quality in Medicaid managed care arrangements, asserting more control over this growing part of the healthcare system. The document argues that despite Medicaid's design emphasizing state control, federal actors played a decisive role similar to their role in Medicare, displaying independence in shaping Medicaid managed care policy.