Convergence and Dissonance: Evolution in Private-Sector Approaches to Disease Management and Care Coordination
November/December 2007
Health Affairs, Vol. 26, No. 6
Glen P. Mays, Melanie Au, Gary Claxton
Disease management (DM) approaches survived the 1990s backlash against managed care because of their potential for consumer-friendly cost containment, but purchasers have been cautious about investing heavily in them because of uncertainty about return on investment. This study examines how private-sector approaches to DM have evolved over the past two years in the midst of the movement toward consumer-driven health care. Findings indicate that these programs have become standard features of health plan design, despite a thin evidence base concerning their effectiveness. Uncertainties remain regarding how well these programs will function within benefit designs that require higher consumer cost sharing.
This article is available at the Health Affairs Web site. (Free access.)
