For several years now, hospitals have been merging in an attempt to streamline operations and enjoy better buying power through volume. No wonder it is quite rare to find stand-alone hospitals in different parts of the world. Actually, most hospitals are now part of a bigger hospital group or health system.
A health system is merely a group of affiliated doctors, hospitals, and facilities, organized together under one parent company. A new type of health plan that’s designed around integrated health care systems is the perfect way to leverage the health system model to reduced costs and improve patient outcomes.
You may already be wondering how this even works in the first place. In a nutshell, employees in employer sponsored plans have the freedom to choose between multiple health systems available to them during open environment. Families can also decide to join a system that best meets their preferences.
To pull this off hassle-free, it is vital to factor in things such as cost, quality, location, availability of medical practitioners, and more. Once you choose a system that best fits your preferences, you’ll get to receive all of your medical care from the chosen health system for the plan year. Remember, integrated health care systems help cut costs to attract members and their families’ healthcare dollars.
It doesn’t stop at that since integrated health care systems for patients mean all doctors have access to the same electronic, medical records that give them insights of the patient. Furthermore, there’s less paperwork that patients have to make do with at any given time.
By opting to build health plans around integrated health care systems, employees get to pay less out of their paycheck for their medical benefits. Better, employers offer more choice and better place at lower costs while doctors are better able to coordinate care.
The Bottom Line
Integrated health care systems play a vital role in helping shape the health sector for the better. And this is easy to see why if the numerous benefits they offer are anything to go with. Keep in mind health systems that perform effectively keep members and their families in their delivery system.
To cut a long story short, there is a wide spectrum of models for health systems integration. Either way, much more needs to be learned about specific structures and mechanisms for success when it comes to integrated health care systems implementation and integration.
