title: Understanding Medicare risk contracting.
abstract: Managed care plans currently serve Medicare beneficiaries through three types of contracts: risk, cost, and health care prepayment plans. This first in a series of articles on Medicare managed care answers common questions about risk contracts.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Olmstead
mesh_terms: D003363:Cost Control; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States