Risk management and data: managed care company perspective

As both public and private health plans move increasingly to managed care, a vigorous debate is occurring about how to ensure health care quality for the American public, while at the same time managing the cost of that care. Health plans generate large volumes of data related to their networks and providers, plan sponsors, member care, and medical protocols. This data can help assure quality, and at the same time help managed care organizations deal with one of the most critical tasks facing them--risk management. This paper may be helpful in providing an outline of two key areas--managed care liability for quality of patient care, and privacy and confidentiality concerns from a managed care organization perspective--followed by suggestions to avoid or minimize liability.