Hypertension and managed care

A shift in principles has accompanied the evolution of healthcare delivery from a fee-for-service system to managed care. Managed care organizations h ave to make decisions on the allocation of healthcare resources that will e nhance the care of the entire population. Cost reduction has been a major d river for managed care, but this is increasingly being supplanted by other goals such as increasing the quality of care and the value of health servic es and providing accountability. As the population ages, management of chro nic lifelong illnesses will pose an increasing challenge. Hypertension is a common chronic illness that, if left untreated, imposes a n enormous economic burden on society. These and other aspects of the disea se and its management make it eminently suitable for intervention in a mana ged care setting. Challenges and opportunities exist for disease management initiatives for hypertension in the managed care environment, As health pl ans enhance their data systems and begin to focus on the long-term benefits of chronic disease management, hypertension will certainly be an early tar get for intervention and control.