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Managed Care

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Managed Care is bad for healthcare providers.

Managed Care is a huge part of health care today, but is it the answer in controlling health care costs? Managed care plans were originally credited in the 1940’s as non-profit organizations and it wasn’t until the 1970’s and 1980’s when healthcare costs soared that employers saw this as an alternative approach. But are Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) the best solution for healthcare providers? Many say, “no.”

According the American Medical Association, “late payment of claims by managed care organizations (MCOs) and other payers is a common problem for many physicians in a wide range of practice settings, and combating this problem is a priority for the AMA.” There is also a heavy administrative burden on physicians and their staff who often spend excessive time on the phone with MCO’s pursuing unpaid and overdue claims, it is not unheard of for some claims to be outstanding for six months or more. “Managed care plans receive a predetermined amount of money per member, regardless of the service.” (Baker, 2011, p. 35).

A clinical perspective of why Managed care is bad for healthcare providers at times is MCOs across the country have taken control of medical decision making by blurring the definition of medical necessity-a clinical determination with covered services-a business determination. At the same time, MCOs specifically disclaim any responsibility for medical decision making and seek to place all liability on physicians.
Managed Care is bad for healthcare providers

Some managed care contracts leave the determination of medical necessity squarely in the hands of the MCO medical director with no stated role for the treating physician. This allows the medical director to override the treating physician’s decisions, this is extremely harmful to patients and physicians operating in a managed

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