The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard University School of Public Health have released findings from their 1999 Survey of Physicians and Nurses . This report focuses on medical professionals reported perceptions of managed care and does not seem to be based on empirical data compiled by the professionals.
Nurses say the biggest negative impact is decreased quality of care.
A June 1999 Public Opinion Strategies survey of 1,000 physicians showed a significant number of doctors believe managed care is making important contributions to our health care system attributing advances in promoting wellness, care management, and preventive care to the growth of managed health care. The report reflects data from 247 managed care organizations representing 410 HMO and POS plans. Thirty-two percent of doctors and 51 percent of nurses say the impact of managed care has increased overall health care costs. During 1999, Watson Wyatt Worldwide projected that medical inflation would increase costs by as much as 22 percent for prescription drug benefit plans and 15 percent for indemnity plans. See graph on the next page.