Cutting the Cost of Managed Care
UnitedHealth Group, the second largest health insurer in the United States., has announced that it will give doctors final say on what treatments are medically necessary. "This doesn't come as a big surprise," says Michael Morrisey, Ph.D., director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy at UAB. "While there is good evidence that pre-admission certification and concurrent review of hospital admissions can reduce admissions, there is little research demonstrating that other forms of utilization management have been effective in reducing costs." It is selective contracting, not utilization management, says Morrisey, that drives managed care savings. "Selectively contracting with some providers and not others allows insurers to bargain based upon price, as well as availability, quality and location of services." Call Joy Carter, Media Relations, 205-934-1676, or email [email protected].
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