Utilization Management: An Assessment of Effectiveness in the United States Army Great Plains Regional Medical Command.
Abstract
Managed health care is changing the financing and delivery of health care in the United States. The effects of those changes are impacting on the Military Health Services System and the U.S. Army Medical Command. The Department of Defense requires all medical treatment facilities to implement and carry out utilization management policies to monitor appropriateness of care as one means to reduce costs. The Department of Defense mandated budget cuts for FY97 which totaled $55 million within the regional medical command. One reason for the cuts was utilization was greater than it should be, and mandatory budget decreases would force the hospitals to decrease utilization. The effect would be to reduce expenditures and save money. This management project provides a baseline assessment of utilization management in five regional hospitals. It compares differences in utilization between active duty military and CHAMPUS eligible patients, and between fiscal years 1995 and 1996. Metrics evaluated are average length of stay, total discharges, and total bed days per one thousand eligible beneficiaries.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA372169
Entities
People
- Ronald J. Hayes
Organizations
- Academy of Health Sciences