Not What the Doctor Ordered: How to End the Medical Monopoly in Pursuit of Managed Care (The Hfma Healthcare Financial Management Series)

When it comes to managed care, do American's really have the choices they deserve? In today's healthcare environment, consumers' only choices are selecting a healthcare plan, designating a primary care doctor out of that plan, or opting not to have a plan and pay the high cost of healthcare out of their pockets. And yet there is another little-known choice that ought to be available to the consumer-qualified non-physician practitioners. Nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical pharmacists, and specialized therapists are trained experts in their specific areas of practice, frequently costing much less than the physician and always providing care of equal or better quality. This better deal will not only benefit the consumer, but the health systems and health plans that makes these certified non-physicians available to their patients.

Not What the Doctor Ordered, revised once again opens the eyes of consumers, providers, and third party insurers to the vision of low cost, high quality alternative choices when it comes to delivering care.

Written by medical economist and healthcare futurist, Dr. Jeff Bauer, Not What the Doctor Ordered, revised explains how opening up the healthcare market and creating competition can achieve the goals of health reform and managed care-without raising costs or imposing more restrictions.

New to Not What the Doctor Ordered, revised: * Clinton health reform-what exactly went wrong and why
* Managed care- how it will evolve
* Alternative medicine-steps in the right direction
* Technology-the growth of telemedicine and integrated information systems
* What's ahead for healthcare in 2000 and beyond