Mandatory HMO enrollment in Medicaid: the issue of freedom of choice.
In areas where HMOs have enrolled a small proportion of the general population, physician participation is less in mandatory HMO programs for Medicaid beneficiaries than in fee-for-service Medicaid. But where HMOs have enrolled over one-quarter of the general population, participation rates are indistinguishable under the two systems. In those areas, mandatory enrollment restricts freedom of choice of provider. A plausible reason for this is that individual practice associations, which contract with large numbers of physicians with both fee-for-service and HMO patients, are becoming the lead form of HMO.
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D002961:Civil Rights; D005251:Fees, Medical; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011216:Practice Management, Medical; D014481:United States