Managed care plans—pressured by a variety of marketplace forces that have been intensifying over the past two years—are making important shifts in their overall business strategy. For example, they are moving to offer less restrictive managed care products and product features that...

This study examined providers' efforts to improve care delivery, similar to those likely to be encouraged under ACOs. Common challenges for affiliated health care organizations’ efforts to improve care are establishing a business case for change and implementing changes with minimal disruption...

A new policy analysis funded by the National Institute for Health Care Reform examines the appeal of episode-based payments as an alternative to the current fee-for-service model. The method bundles payment for some or all services for a specific health condition or event over a certain period...

In this paper we develop the implications of the property rights theory of the firm for wage determination and test the model using data from the U.S. nursing home industry. The main theoretical prediction is that any attenuation of property rights will lead to higher wage rates for the firm's...

This study found that independent practice associations—networks of small medical practices—can offer a useful model for helping small physician practices overcome barriers to health information technology adoption and use.

The health care system in the United States has been experiencing rapid change for decades. Beginning after World War II, the health care system grew and expanded. Change was driven by advances in technology, shifting demographics, and increases in the supply of physicians and hospitals, all...