Managed Care Made Easy · Survival of the HMO Era

More than 60 million Americans participate in managed care programs offered by their employer, yet most know little or nothing about how it works for them. While the providers -- physicians and hospitals -- rely on lawyers and consultants to advise them on contractual, procedural, and legal matters, consumers lack advocacy-oriented information regarding their own medical and financial well-being. This book will help consumers understand how managed care plans operate, what questions to ask before and after joining a plan, how to be allied with a primary care physician, and how to challenge a plan's decisions or practices. Includes a glossary of critical terms and a listing of agencies (by state) that the consumer may need to contact when searching for quality care.