OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship of demographics, severity of illness and quality of care measures with general health perception (GHP) and patient satisfaction (PS) levels among managed care diabetes patients. METHODS: The sample included 300 adult diabetes patients enrolled in an IPA-model HMO. All data were collected through surveys and medical claims. Survey data from July 1999 were merged with medical and pharmacy claims data from July 1998 through June 1999. Our analysis consisted of two multiple regression models with GHP (100 point transformed scale, higher score=better health) and PS (9 point scale, higher score=greater satisfaction) being the dependent variables, respectively. Predictor variables in both models included: demographics (age, gender, education, income), severity of illness (insulin use, duration of diabetes), number of comorbidities, receipt of foot and eye exams, diabetes education, lipid tests, microalbumin tests, frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose, and the frequency of tests for HbA1c and blood glucose. RESULTS: Mean (SD) for GHP and PS scores were 49.8 (25.0) and 7.8 (1.8), respectively. The R2 for model 1 (GHP) and model 2 (PS) were 0.20 and 0.10, respectively. Significant predictors (p<0.05) of GHP included comorbidities (beta=-0.11), income (beta=0.26), and HbA1c tests (beta=0.19). Thus, higher GHP was associated with having fewer comorbidities, higher income and more frequent testing of HbA1c in the prior year. Significant predictors of PS included comorbidities (beta=-0.15), foot exams (beta=0.16), and diabetes education (beta=0.16). Thus, higher satisfaction was associated with fewer comorbidities, receipt of a foot exam from any healthcare provider, and participation in a diabetes education program. CONCLUSION: When controlling for demographics, comorbidities and severity of illness, those patients who received more frequent HbA1c monitoring reported higher self-rated health, and patients who received foot exams and diabetes education were more satisfied with the care they received for diabetes.