The following statements appear in the Twilight Health Plan's strategic plan:

Increase the percentage of preventive health interventions for total eligible membership during each of the next three calendar years for the following services: mammography, Pap smears, immunizations, and first trimester visits for prenatal mothers

Improve customer satisfaction on an annual basis for each of the next three calendar years, as measured by satisfaction surveys for members, providers, and employer groups

Increase by 30% the number of claims processed by the automated claim payment system and reduce by 10% the cost of paying claims during the next three years

These statements are examples of Twilight's

TRICARE, a military healthcare program, offers eligible beneficiaries three options for healthcare services: TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Extra, and TRICARE Standard. With respect to plan features, both an annual deductible and claims filing requirements must be met, regardless of whether care is delivered by network providers, under

Antitrust laws can affect the formation, merger activities, or acquisition initiatives of a health plan. In the United States, the two federal agencies that have the primary responsibility for enforcing antitrust laws are the

In examining accountability in the current managed care environment, one is likely to find that combinations of various models of accountability are in operation. Under one model of accountability, the primary mechanisms for accountability are the mechanisms of the marketplace-failure to meet standards will result in a loss of demand for services. By definition, this model of accountability is called the

One federal law amended the Social Security Act to allow states to set their own qualification standards for HMOs that contracted with state Medicaid programs and revised the requirement that participating HMOs have an enrollment mix of no more than 50% combined Medicare and Medicaid members.

This act, which was the true stimulus for increasing participation by health plans in Medicaid, is called the

Some health plans qualify as tax-exempt organizations under Sections 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. One true statement regarding a health plan that qualifies as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, in comparison to a health plan that qualifies as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is that a

There are several exceptions to the Ethics in Patient Referrals Act and its amendments (the Stark laws), which prohibit a physician from referring Medicare or Medicaid patients for certain designated services or supplies provided by entities in which the physician has a financial interest. Consider whether the situations described below qualify as exceptions to the Stark laws:

Situation A: Dr. Wong is a physician in the Marvel Health Plan's provider network and has a financial relationship with Marvel arising from the health plan's compensation for his services. Marvel is not a prepaid health plan.

Situation B: Dr. Ryder is a physician in the provider network of the Glen Health Plan, which is not a prepaid health plan. In situations of medical necessity, Dr. Ryder refers Glen patients to a physical therapy clinic that leases office space from him.

Situation C: Dr. Yost has a compensation arrangement with a health plan for providing health services under the Medicare+Choice program.

An arrangement that is exempt from the Stark laws is described in

Directors on a health plan's board must demonstrate their compliance with three duties in all their decisions. Directors who exercise their duties in good faith and with the same degree of diligence and skill that an ordinary, reasonable person would be expected to display in the same situation are meeting the duty known as the

From the following answer choices, choose the term that best corresponds to this description.

Barrington Health Services, Inc. contracts with a state Medicaid agency as a fiscal intermediary. Barrington does not provide medical services, but contracts with medical providers on behalf of the state Medicaid agency.

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) seeking federal qualification under the HMO Act of 1973 and its amendments must meet requirements in four basic operational areas. One operational requirement for qualification is that an HMO must