Among Medicare HMOs, Capitation's the Way

MANAGED CARE February 2000. ©2000 MediMedia USA

Any way you cut the numbers, capitation is the most prevalent form of payment by Medicare HMOs for both primary care physicians and specialists. Almost 8 in 10 primary care physicians who contract with Medicare HMOs receive at least some compensation via capitation; as for HMOs, 85 percent pay primary care physicians either exclusively through capitation, or by a combination of capitation and other payment systems.

SOURCE: HMO INDUSTRY REPORT 9.2, INTERSTUDY PUBLICATIONS, MINNEAPOLIS, 1999