Medicare, managed care, and cancer

The Medicare program has undergone phenomenal changes during the last decade. Many of the changes relate to the growth of Medicare managed care. Changes in Medicare will continue as the Health Care Financing Administration implements the provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. As a result, Medicare should be open to more types of delivery systems that are organized in different ways than traditional health maintenance organizations. Payments should be improved so that these organizations can enroll sicker people and can be paid for accepting and treating those people. Beneficiaries should be provided with enough information that they have the necessary data to select plans based on quality, not just cost.