Health the yachtsman Outdoor Apparel HMOs Have Altered Health Care Delivery 1105 S. Adams • Birmingham, MI 248 • 723 • 9838 YOUR LARGEST SOURCE OF PATAGONIA JUST GOT BIGGER! NOW ON THE CORNER OF LINCOLN AND ADAMS ELIZABETH SCHEIBNER Special to The Jewish News 10111111111111.1111111111Ir ri Min g" 1.r MOVED 1 MILE NORTH I patagonía Ask about our Preventive AA 24 Hour Emergen 30 Vehicles • Radi Quality Installatio MTErgawatagm;m Get Results ...Advertise in our Entertainment Section! Call The Sales Department (248) 354-7123 Ext. 209 12/26 1997 130 'TN ® ealth care used to be rela- tively simple. You chose a doctor, paid whatever fees ou incurred and your insurance company reimbursed you for most or all expenses. Today, traditional fee-for-service health care is almost nonexistent. The advent of managed care has changed health care delivery for- ever - for better or worse. In the United States alone, more than 50 per- cent of the work force is enrolled in a managed- care organi- zation, with 14,000 new members signing up each day. Over the past 10 years, HMOs have experienced a sixfold increase in membership, from 10 mil- lion in 1982 to 65 million today. And by the year 2000, membership in man- aged-care organizations is expected to top 100 million. Much of what we hear and read about HMOs is negative, but the reali- ty is that managed care has reduced medical price inflation and has made health costs more predictable. While there are those who blame HMOs for what they see as a decline in the quality of health care, others contend that managed care offers more extensive coverage than traditional insurance. Participants in HMOs typically are able to take advantage of added ser- vices, such as home health care, occu- pational and.physical ,therap; chiro- practic care, wellness programs, mental health services, hospice care and more. One of the notable advantages of man- aged care is that an HMO pays the bills directly rather than reimbursing you, reducing the amount of paper- work you have to fill out. Overall, consumer satisfaction with managed care seems to be high. A sur- vey by the Chicago Business Group on Health, for example, 'revealed that 84 percent of those polled were satisfied with their managed health care plan. Hy Elizabeth Scheibner writes for Copley News Service. Even so, experts agree that consumers must now assume greater responsibility for their health care and be better informed patients in order to receive the care they deserve. Over the last decade, hundreds of managed-care organizations have sprung up across the country, each offering different plans and different coverage. More than half of all employers contract with only one HMO, which means that employees must participate in that plan or pay for their own health care. However, many large companies are now offering their employees a choice of health plans, giv- ing them the freedom to select the type of cov- erage that best meets their individual needs. Choosing an HMO can be a confus- ing and time-consuming process, but it's important to check out a health plan before signing up. StorieS abound of people who find themselves con- fronted with enormous out-of-pocket expenses because they didn't fully understand their health plan's coverage and exclusions. "The old adage, let the buyer beware,' holds true for health care as well as used cars," says John Connolly, Ed.D., author of the book "The ABCs of HMOs: How to Get the Best From Managed Care" (Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.). "It is only through becoming informed consumers that we can know what we are entitled to and .can then demand the best when it is not deliv- ered." The biggest challenge in selecting an HMO is finding one that meets your family's current and long-term needs. There are many factors to consider, including cost, convenience, service and location of physicians. One of the best ways to assess an HMO is to ask co-workers and friends if they're satis- fied with their plans. Find out what they like and dislike, and ask if they've encountered any problems. Additionally, you can ask HMOs to send you literature describing their plans. One thing to consider when choos- .