Newsletter Articles | January 31, 2015
Narrow Health Plan Networks: Really Less Choice?
When I started my first professional assignment in health care in 1985, it was with a start-up HMO (when the acronym for health maintenance organization was not considered a death panel) sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capital Area (Washington, DC). We offered a Blue Plan (tightly managed and small, capitated provider network) and a Gold Plan (broad fee for service network). The Blue Plan cost employers and individual members less because it was tightly managed, and it was capitated. At the time, we did not have a lot of information if patients got better . . .