title: Preferred provider organizations.
abstract: The 1980s has marked the beginning of a new alternative health care delivery system: the preferred provider organization ( PPO ). This system has developed from the health maintenance organization model and is predominant in California and Colorado. A PPO is a group of providers, usually hospitals and doctors, who agree to provide health care to subscribers for a negotiated fee that is usually discounted. Preferred provider organizations are subject to peer review and strict use controls in exchange for a consistent volume of patients and speedy turnaround on claims payments. This article describes the factors leading to the development of PPOs and the implications for occupational therapy.
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review