Special E-Mail Bulletin #3
April 2000
Managed Care News

Special E-Mail Bulletin

You've probably heard about the agreement reached between Aetna/USHealthcare and the state of Texas? It's being touted by some as a "landmark" settlement in the battle to level the playing field between HMOs and providers. Many are saying it will set the standards for future dealings in other states.

Well, as with everything else in managed care I guess that remains to be seen. We'll have to watch this one to see how it plays out over time.

You can read the entire agreement (51 pages) at:

http://www.aetnaushealthcare.com/data/tx_avc_agreement_final.pdf

You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read this .pdf file. If you don't have it, you can download it for free by clicking here.

It's lengthy, but quite fascinating. When you've finished reading the settlement ask yourself "What's it really all mean"? Then check out this story from the Washington Post:

http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47941-2000Apr19.html

Not surprisingly, there are some who think it's more form than substance -- smoke and mirrors. You be the judge.

Gil Weber