Competition among hospitals for HMO business: effect of price and nonprice attributes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate patterns of competition among hospitals for the business of health maintenance organizations (HMOs). The study focused on the relative importance of hospital price and nonprice attributes in the competition for HMO business.


METHODS
The study capitalized on hospital cost reports from Florida that are unique in their inclusion of financial data regarding HMO business activity. The time frame was 1992 to 1997.


METHODS
The study was designed as an observational investigation of acute care hospitals.


RESULTS
Results indicated that a hospital's share of HMO business was related to both its price and nonprice attributes. However, the importance of both price and nonprice attributes diminished as the number of HMOs in a market increased. Hospitals that were market share leaders in terms of HMO business (i.e., 30 percent or more market share) were superior, on average, to their competitors on both price and nonprice attributes.


CONCLUSIONS
Study results indicate that competition among hospitals for HMO business involves a complex set of price and nonprice attributes. The HMOs do not appear to focus on price alone. Hospitals likely to be the most attractive to HMOs are those that can differentiate themselves on the basis of nonprice attributes while being competitive on price as well.
Young
Gary J
GJ
Department of Veterans Affairs, USA.
Burgess
James E
JE
Valley
Danielle
D
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D004465:Economic Competition / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005431:Florida; D019981:Health Care Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D010067:Ownership; D010816:Physician Incentive Plans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013675:Technology, High-Cost