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A survey of employer health plan sponsors finds that the median deductible required by employers for individual coverage in preferred provider organization health plans increased to $1,000 in 2008 from $500 in the previous year. It is also found that total health plan cost per employee increased by 6.3 percent in 2008.

A survey indicates that the profits of managed-care organizations have increased over 200% since 1987. The survey covers the performance of 96 health maintenance organizations (HMOs) between 1987 and 1991 and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) between 1989 and 1991. For-profit HMOs reported a 161% increase in net income. Not-for-profit organizations were more profitable than for-profit prepaid plans, with profit increases of almost 700%. The growth in the managed care industry will be led by HMOs and PPOs.

The selection of health insurance plans has become a struggle between employees' desire to use physicians of their choice and employers' efforts to keep the cost of coverage under control. [...]

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs), which appeared on the American health care scene in the 1930s as prepaid group practices, have since revolutionized accepted concepts of health care reimbursement. HMO benefits [...]

I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I can attend one more presentation on the Medicare PPS. Of course, I've seen more than a few at various national [...]

Employee podiatric insurance can be reduced through the use of a preferred provider organization (PPO) specializing in podiatry. Such a model PPO was designed for the Northern California Food Employers and Retail Clerks Benefit Plan. It was discovered that hospital stays significantly decreased, even though podiatry costs in the US and California collectively increased 53% between 1983 and 1986. Surgical costs also decreased, while office visits increased, reflecting greater utilization of podiatric service at lower costs. Podiatric PPO offer substantial savings to employees, reduced employee disability and absence rates, and administrative cost reduction to employers. Podiatric PPO's must include a peer review, utilization control system, and quality assurance plan to be successful.

Corporate America is plagued by its continuing inability to control the rising cost of healthcare. In the early 1980s, the focus was on alternative delivery systems. The question that we [...]

Employer health care costs rose an average of 6.1 percent last year after several years of marginal growth, according to the 13th annual Mercer/Foster Higgins National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health [...]

Chase Manhattan Corp. plans to announce today that it will play a key role in an alliance to process payments for major health care organizations. Accelerating what is already one [...]

While almost all of South Florida's health care providers are accepting pre-payments for patients' total care, they may not be ready to accept the financial risk inherent in this type [...]

Building and repairing roads and bridges, reforming education, providing low-income housing and meeting federal guidelines for solid waste disposal and wastewater treatment all require major infusions of local dollars. but, [...]

Third-party insurers' refusals to pay the full amount of hospital charges are putting many Iowa hospitals in a financial bind. And the problem is quickly spreading from rural to urban [...]

Blue Shield parent reports big losses Financial condition attributed to hot competition in Buffalo market Five years after Blue Shield of Western New York Inc. came to the financial rescue [...]

Managed Care For Elderly `Encouraging' WASHINGTON - Coordinated care for the elderly and effectiveness research into medical procedures are some of the means for reducing health care costs recommended by [...]

Review firms must be regulated, opposing sides agree Some calm could be brought to the controversy involving health-care coverage for addictions treatment by the passing of state regulations for utilization [...]

Costs, controversy in addictions treatment As the business of treating drug and alcohol dependencies grows, so does the payment battle between health-care providers and insurers. Last year more than $65 [...]

Cal. Blue PPO Uses Negotiated Fees Blue Shield of California projects that it will achieve an overall cost savings of up to 25 percent under a new out-patient cost control [...]

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) 2002 Rank Company Members Physicians Hospitals 1 Beech Street Corp. 3,756,273 54,859 185 2 MultiPlan Inc. 1,857,634 22,100 131 3 CompBenefits (1) 1,500,000 2,500 WND 4 [...]