What surgeons need to know to help patients receive quality medical care in managed care settings.
BACKGROUND
Americans spend more than $3,300 per person per year on health care, an amount businesses, government, and citizens alike consider too high.
Managed care attempts to offer services at a lower cost, about 10% below that of indemnity insurance, and attempts to controls costs by modifying decisions historically made by physician and patient. Many techniques have been used to modify the decision-making process, with varying effects on quality.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgeons can help sustain easily accessible, high-quality care through various personal behaviors and through choosing their managed care partners well.
Lauve
R M
RM
Department of Health Systems Research, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, USA.
Martin
L F
LF
D000068:Accreditation; D003363:Cost Control; D013502:General Surgery / Q000191:economics; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics*; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States