With nowhere left to go but up, HMOs, fully insured carriers, and reinsurance carriers began raising rates during the middle of 1997. Compare that to the reported 34 million uninsured in 1993, when the Clinton health care plan was being promoted. Today, very little is heard about the continuing and growing problem of the uninsured. These events will cripple the advantages of managed care. They also want information, universal coverage, and health plan liability.
Primary care is increasingly important.
Every organization is finding ways to date, merge, contract, divorce, and start over again. Simply, your enemy today may be your friend tomorrow. With a better understanding of these drivers, the actions of constituencies that are affecting and being affected by managed care would be guided more by knowledge than reasons of political gain. Because of this mounting assault, it is important to consider whether managed care has worked. Otherwise, there would not be the attacks on it that are seen today.