title: Insurers' competitive strategy and enrollment in newly offered preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
abstract: While early growth in preferred provider organizations (PPOs) coincided with growth of managed care generally, recent expansion has come primarily at the expense of other managed care plans. Little is known about the micro behavior underlying these trends. In 2005, University of Michigan employees were offered PPOs for the first time by vendors who also offered other plans. PPOs helped the offering vendors maintain or increase their total enrollment share. PPOs were most attractive to workers who previously had chosen less managed plans. Because PPOs drew few enrollees from health maintenance organizations (HMOs), there was little evidence of a backlash against managed care in the context of the University of Michigan employee group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 109 S. Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. rhirth@umich.edu
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hirth
authors.forename: Kyle L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Grazier
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Chernew
authors.forename: Edward N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Okeke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004465:Economic Competition / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007343:Insurance Carriers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan; D008875:Middle Aged; D011243:Preferred Provider Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis