September 1999
Florida will soon test a program that could provide competition for HMOs serving the Medicaid population. Other states are watching.
Lessons have been learned from early PHOs, which lacked direction and had misaligned interests between hospitals and physicians.
Electoral politics, the Internet, and much more sophisticated patients have all helped to redistribute power among managed care players.
The per-visit cost of a house call is high, but used judiciously, this practice can lower overall medical costs — not to mention provide better care.
This physician and his backers are making a $100 million bet that electronic patient records, and widespread access to them through the Internet, are not far away for most practices.
Departments
Compensation Monitor
Legal Forum
Bruce J. Goldstein, J.D.
Managed Care Outlook