1997 figures are predicted to be even worse. These problems are not confined to the for-profit HMOs. Employers are thought to be one of the key factors in the revenue problems being experienced by HMOs.
Employers are generally more than willing to switch HMOs in order to get a lower premium.
In addition, some HMOs have been particularly low in their premiums in order to buy market share. Providers are sensing that HMOs may be at their weakest right now, what with strong consumer uneasiness and politicians introducing more regulation of HMOs. Some feel that the basic difficulty we face right now is that health care is driven by Wall Street, not by public policy. As long as patients and physicians feel that the health care system has been set up to provide profits to stockholders, rather than existing to provide the best care to patients, conflict will reign. Rational people recognize that infinite funds do not exist for health care.