Health Care Policy

Health care policy
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The cost of health care has a significant effect on clinical practice. Before the introduction of managed health care, clinicians were less concerned with the cost of health care services. Their duty was to provide health services to patients irrespective of the fee. The advent of managed health care, however, changed the scope of the practice; clinicians were now required to consider cost when delivering medical care (Coalition for Patients' Rights.n.d.).
Managed care policy
Managed care policy is a technique used to influence medical conduct of health care providers as well as patients through assimilating cost and provision of health care services. The primary aim is to administratively control cost, quality and access to health care to a specific populace. The most common policy in managed health care is capitation which involves paying a fixed amount of money to a physician for every patient notwithstanding the cost of the care or in an arrangement between physicians and health care purchasers where they offer the service at a discount (Managed Care, n.d.).
Managed care has a positive impact on people in that it reduces the cost and makes it more affordable for people from low income brackets.
Managed care also has different impacts on the relationship between the patient and the physician. First of all, health organizations pay only to those physicians affiliated to them. Those that have a preference of choice may pay when the patient goes outside their circle but at a smaller percentage. Such restrictions affect how a patient can relate to a physician. At times, the program can terminate without the patients choosing especially in cases where employers shift their health plans (Managed Care, n.d.).
Financial incentives for the patients may push some doctors to review more patients....