HMO physician attitudes toward drug cost containment strategies

To compare network and group model physician attitudes toward prescription drug cost containment strategies.

Mailed survey with two reminders for non-respondents.

Mixed model (network and group) HMO in metropolitan Washington, DC.

Response on agreement scale to questions regarding receptivity to drug cost containment strategies.

All primary care providers (N = 311) affiliated with the George Washington University Health Plan. The response rate was 78% (N = 243).

Almost all clinicians believed that education and feedback were appropriate methods to control costs in an HMO. Network physicians were significantly less likely to agree with more intrusive administrative interventions. Both groups generally believed that patient expectations often dictate more costly prescribing than is necessary.

Managed care physicians were generally amenable to cooperative behavior change strategies (i.e., education and feedback) and often opposed to mandated administrative or incentive approaches, especially physicians from the network setting. It remains to be seen whether use of cooperative methods to promote cost-conscious physician behavior can result in substantial savings.