Health Maintenance Organizations

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the history of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and health care delivery. It discusses the creation of HMOs and the situation before their existence. The paper then discusses their management and describes the use of technology with regard to service delivery. Finally, the paper describes some of the problems associated with HMOs.

Table of Contents:
Current Delivery and Accessibility Issues
Management
Technology
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) have been evolving for Americans since the beginning of industrialization. The concept of the HMO was to ensure that workers had access to health care that was affordable and consistent. However, as time has progressed it has become apparent that HMOs are not necessarily the best alternative for health care because of rising costs, the lack of employers to pay portions of the HMO fees and the belief by physicians that HMOs do not allow them to practice medicine by their own ethical values. The creation of HMOs, however, has led many within the country to begin to realize that health care should be available to all people, regardless of their employment affiliations. While this was the original intention of the HMO in the nation, over time the complete existence of these organizations has begun to focus solely on monetary gain. Perhaps if the health care community and the government can refocus their concentration on the HMO as a type of provider for all Americans, the future of the HMO will progress successfully in the United States."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Health maintenance organization. (2006). Columbia. Retrieved October 10, 2006, from http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Health+Maintenance
• Health maintenance organizations and the changing physician workforce. (2001). Rand Health. Retrieved October 10, 2006, from http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB4540/index1.html
• U.S. code. (n.d.). Cornell Law. Retrieved October 10, 2006, from http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode42/usc_sec_42_00000300---e000-.html
• Electronic medical records - health care's next challenge in cybersapce. (2001). Find Law. Retrieved October 10, 2006, from http://library.findlaw.com/2004/Sep/19/133570.html

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