Title: Health care costs : there are solutions /
Authors: Latham, W. Bryan, 1938-
Publisher: AMA Membership Publications Division, American Management Associations,
Year: 1983
Subjects: Insurance, Health economics; Health Benefit Plans, Employee; Economics, Medical; Cost Control methods; Medical care United States Cost control; Medical care, Cost of United States; Health insurance Economic aspects United States.; United States
Abstract: This is a book for managers who are determined about reducing medical care costs. I've seen many executives become interested in the cost problem, take the time to learn about why the problem exists, then suddenly become incensed that the system has deteriorated to the conditions at hand. They spend a great deal of time-and much rhetoric-blaming others: physicians and the hospital community in general, employees, their insurance carriers, and so on. This does very little good. An insurance carrier can't solve your cost problems. Nor will doctors and hospital administrators come flocking to your door, apologize for charging you too much, and offer to repent. If medical costs are to be reduced in your company, it's up to your company to take responsibility for marshaling the forces needed to bring about this change. This work establishes four factors for determining the cost of medical care for companies: Administrative fees, Utilization of medical services, Fees for services, and Employee selection of provider.
Contents: Introduction -- The Roots of the Medical Cost Problem -- Finding the Right Company Strategy -- The Medical Information Service: How the Idea Developed -- How to Build a Medical Information Service – Epilogue.