title: HMO-hospital relationships: an exploratory study.
abstract: Although HMOs very often obtain discounts for hospital services, there is little evidence that they create price competition among hospitals. Location and the availability of services and specialists, rather than price, appear to be the most important factors in the selection of hospitals by HMOs.
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D009935:Organizational Affiliation; D014481:United States