Research

Current and future developments in managed care in the United States and implications for Europe

Ronald Lagoe¹ , Deborah L Aspling² and Gert P Westert³

¹Hospital Executive Council Syracuse, NewYork, USA

²Lodi Memorial Hospital Lodi, California, USA

³National Institute of Public Health and the Environment Bilthoven, Netherlands

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Health Research Policy and Systems 2005, 3:4doi:10.1186/1478-4505-3-4

Published:	17 March 2005

Abstract

The paper reviews and evaluates current and future approaches to cost containment in the United States. Managed care was once seen as an effective approach to supporting health care quality while containing costs in the USA. In recent years payors started to look in other directions, since prospects for limiting expenses faded. Nowadays consumer driven health plans seem to be on the rise. The reasons for the decline of managed care, the growing popularity of the consumer driven health plans and the implications for Europe are discussed.