HMO Vs Fee-for-Service Care of Older Persons with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Compares care for older patients with acute myocardial infarction in HMOs with their care under the fee-for-service system. It demonstrates that the survival rate in HMOs was exactly the same as in traditional fee-for-service facilities and that compliance with process criteria was higher for the HMO group as a whole. This article supports the view that HMOs can provide as good care as the fee-for-service system and suggests that health care reform using managed care organizations will not decrease quality of care.