Utilization Management As A Cost Containment Strategy
Utilization Management As A Cost Containment Strategy
Utilization Management As A Cost Containment Strategy
Utilization management (UM) is now an integral part electronic connectivity between payers and providers and
of most public and private health plans. Hospital review, the use of clinical guidelines and computer-based
until recently the primary focus of UM, is associated with decision-support systems, the need for prospective
a reduction in bed days and rate of hospital cost case-level reviews will be reduced. With these changes,
increases. These reductions appear to have had limited UM programs are likely to become more acceptable to
impact on aggregate health care costs because of providers and patients.
increases in unmanaged services. In the future, with