Some plans also have a grievance procedure which members are encouraged to use if they are not satisfied with the quality of the care. The physician is paid for each appointment. The bill increases as more services are provided, or as more expensive services are substituted for less expensive ones. Typically, the individual pays the bill and is partially reimbursed by their insurance company. Whether the member never sees the doctor or sees her 20 times, the provider does not get any more money than the agreed upon amount.
Some plans also have members pay a small co-payment for each visit.
It is also worth noting that under managed care, individuals are being encouraged to assume more responsibility for their own health. At a minimum, this means taking a more active role in the health care decisions making. However, some plans also emphasize greater responsibility for lifestyle decisions. The most obvious strategy for controlling costs is by contracting with providers to provide care for members at reduced rates. Another approach has been to spread the financial risk of providing care to providers.