Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 20 · column 3 of 5 · from the scan, no model involved
By PETER FAKOURY
Times-Democrat Special Writer
Charles Darwin probably never imagined himself an economist. But his theory on natural selection, “survival of the fittest,” fits more than the world of nature. It may aptly describe the evolution of the health care industry.
What existed 20 years ago in health care delivery has drastically changed. As the health care delivery system in the United States has evolved, the delivery mechanisms that are the “fittest” in the changing market place are those that are surviving.
Twenty years ago almost everyone had traditional health insurance, like Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Today there are literally hundreds of different kinds of health care plans, many of which are not based on the old fee-for-service insurance model. These plans basically allowed the patient ultimate control of his or her health care, with little regard for cost. Patients chose their own physician, who was reimbursed by the insurance company, less a deductible and co-payment. This system is slowly going the way of the tyrannosaurus rex and the wooly mammoth.
What is steadily emerging as the survivor in this age is “managed care.” Managed care is nothing new, but it has taken a foothold in Fauquier County and surrounding areas over the past several years.
As recently as five years ago there were few managed care plans covering people who lived in Fauquier County. Now Fauquier Hospital and many of its physicians participate in as many as twenty different health care plans. Many are some form of managed care plan.
Managed care has evolved to control the escalating cost of health care. It is based upon the concept that costs can be better conr
87.8%