Alternative medicine moves into the mainstream

Article Abstract:

Alternative health care or complementary medicine is gaining acceptance in the health insurance industry. A majority of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) plan to cover alternative medicine in the near future. Chiropractic and acupuncture are the top choices for inclusion. Seventy percent of HMOs report an increase in requests for treatment from members. Prudential Insurance Company of America, Mutual of Omaha and Cigna HealthCare all provide some coverage for bio-feedback, acupuncture and chiropractic.

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Insurer-managed care cultures clash in rush to compete

Article Abstract:

Health insurers need to adapt their corporate culture in order to be successful in selling managed care products. Insurers who launch managed care products using traditional indemnity salespeople experience failure because the indemnity sales culture is very different from the 'target culture' of the managed care market. To be successful, insurers must implement a more cooperative and flexible corporate culture.

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Tilting at managed care

Article Abstract:

Wall Street Journal reporter and author George Anders is interviewed. Anders' book "Health Against Wealth: HMOs and the Breakdown of Medical Trust" chronicles the failings of managed care, a system which Anders believes has allowed a desire for cost efficiency to supercede the needs of the individual. Anders' book includes 10 remedies for correcting flaws in the managed care system.

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