Giving primaries the payroll Another model, according to Bradford Kirkman-Liff, M.B.A., Dr. Penner notes that even before the market crash of Oct. 27, stock prices for many leading HMOs were falling. He sees a trend on the part of such formerly all-powerful companies to return to providing insurance instead of micromanaging care. But others say the fortunes of HMOs have traditionally risen and fallen in cycles. In most cases, their profits are not obscene, far from it.
Crystal balls are cloudy on that one.
But they offer some new factors likely to become more prominent in the mix. One of them is outcome-based incentives. David Rearick, D.O., M.B.A., is the network medical director of Aetna U.S. Healthcare in Atlanta. Aetna U.S. Healthcare claims to have a 10-year jump on the rest of the industry in tracking outcomes. Quality is the key factor we're looking for.