Managed care is in your future

Though Texas has been slower than most other large states to move into managed care, it is gaining ground. According to the Texas Health Maintenance Organization Association, 1.2 million Texans were enrolled in HMO plans in January 1990. Three years later, 1.5 million had signed on--a 24 percent increase. State enrollment in other managed care plans, which aren't required to file reports with state regulatory agencies, was estimated to be 6.9 million (41 percent of Texans) in 1991, according to Blue Cross/Blue Shield. While these state enrollment figures are large, the most recent numbers available indicate that Texas hospitals have a long way to go. A 1991 AHA survey found that 259 Texas hospitals (47 percent of those surveyed) do not have contracts with HMOs or PPOs. With changes coming at break-neck speed, how can these hospitals position themselves to survive and prosper in the managed care world? This month, HealthTexas presents three examples of hospitals and health care systems that have successfully made the transition to managed care. Their stories illustrate three very different approaches--developing a network, direct contracting, and establishing a health plan. And, those who have led these ventures offer advice to help other hospitals make the transition a little easier.