The transition from managed care to consumerism: a community-level status report

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Economics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the development of the facilitated consumerism model in healthcare at the community level.
• To analyze the progress of large employers and health plans in implementing consumerism strategies.
• To examine the nuances of healthcare consumerism strategies in local markets.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Community Tracking Study (CTS).
• Analyzed the implementation of facilitated consumerism by large employers and health plans.
• Examined community-level developments in healthcare consumerism.

Main Results:

• Significant progress has been made by large employers and health plans in establishing the infrastructure for facilitated consumerism.
• Community-level data reveals that evolving consumerism strategies are more nuanced than commonly portrayed.
• The implementation of facilitated consumerism varies across different local markets.

Conclusions:

• The facilitated consumerism model in healthcare is evolving rapidly at the community level.
• While foundational elements are in place, the practical application of healthcare consumerism is complex and context-dependent.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term implications of facilitated consumerism in diverse healthcare markets.