Managed care
Definition
Managed care is a generic term for various health care payment systems that attempt to contain costs by controlling the type and level of services provided. Health maintenance organization (HMO) is a term that is often used synonymously with managed care, but HMOs are actually a particular type of managed care organization.
Purpose
Health care reform has been an increasingly urgent concern in the United States over the past 40 years. Until recently, the primary source of health care coverage was indemnity insurance, which pays or reimburses the cost of medical services in the event of a person's illness or injury. Indemnity insurance gives health care providers few reasons to use less expensive forms of treatment- the insurance companies generally pay for any treatment deemed...
[The entire page is 1471 words long]
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