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HEALTH CARE: TYPES OF MEDICAL PRACTICES
Today, managed care is the dominant health payer system in the United States. Because of this, many people are restricted in their choice of a health care provider. Selective contracting between insurers or employers and health providers has limited the freedom of choice that some Americans previously enjoyed under a fee-for-service system. Two critical decisions you may have to make are (1) choosing an insurance carrier or type of plan, and then (2) choosing from among the health care providers who participate in that plan.
In the highly competitive market for patients, many health care providers have found it essential to combine resources into a group practice, which can be single- or multi-specialty. Physicians share offices, equipment, utility bills, and staff costs. Besides sharing costs, they may also share profits. Proponents of group practice maintain that it provides better coordination of care, reduces unnecessary duplication of equipment, and improves the quality of health care through peer review. Critics argue that group practice may limit competition and patients\' access points to services.
Solo practitioners are medical providers who practice independently of other practitioners. It is hard for solo practitioners to survive in today\'s high-cost, high-technology health care market. Additionally, solo practitioners often have little time away from their offices and have to trade on-call hours with other doctors. For these reasons, there are far fewer solo practices today than in the past. Most solo practitioners are doctors who established their practices years ago, have a specialty that\'s in high demand, or work in a rural or underserved area.
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GENERAL HEALTH
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