PubMed · 1986 · 10 citations · 0 references
ManagementHealth Services AdministrationInsuranceHealth Care Strategic ManagementHealth InsuranceHealthcare AdministrationHealth Care OrganizationsHealth Insurance AdministrationHealth Systems ManagementPractice OrganizationPreferred Provider OrganizationsProvider ContractingCompetitive EnvironmentPreferred Provider Organization NetworksPreferred Provider Organization PlansPreferred Provider Organization RegulationProvider ChoiceProvider Competition
Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) have recently attracted much attention as an alternative to both traditional fee-for-service medicine and health maintenance organizations. To examine their development and structure, we conducted a telephone survey with executives of more than 130 operational PPOs. We describe typical examples of the three most common types of PPOs-those sponsored by providers, insurers, and entrepreneurs-and identify problems each faces in the increasingly competitive health care environment. We then cite approaches that innovative PPOs are using to deal expressly with these problems.