TRUSTING IN THE FUTURE - THE DISTINCT ADVANTAGE OF NONPROFIT HMOS

Managed care's success in improving the health status of communities c an be directly attributed to the not-for-profits. Three of the major o rganizations-Harvard Community Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, and Gro up Health Cooperative of Puget Sound-in this category have participate d in the critical public policy debates of the past 30 years, have con ducted and funded data-based research, and have trained numerous U.S. primary care physicians for practice. An emphasis on health, rather th an profits, has led them to favor community rating. Not-for-profits ha ve created an environment that encourages good relationships between p atients and professional caregivers. They have discovered that deliver ing superior care is the most effective way to control costs, and they have done this while fostering partnerships with organized labor. It is critical for the not-for-profits to communicate their obvious advan tages to the general public in order to ensure their survival.