Been there, done that. Being in the home territory of Humana, the medical market here formed an IPA way back in the late 80s, early nineties to negotiate contracts. Worked ok for awhile until most of us realized giving the IPA 2% and ending up with the same contract non-IPA members had was silly so it fell apart. There are no active IPAs currently that function in my market. Plus, as the article to which you refer indicates, the legality of these "messengers" is being investigated by the Federal Government. Actually, I found the article to be more nonsupporting of the concept than supporting. And, by golly, if the insurance company laughs in my face and tells me they dont need me, they really dont need me. They can send their patients to Walgreens miniclinc
Leslie Hospital Employed Physician Who Misses The Old AC
"It's a good thing for a doctor to have prematurely grey hair and itching piles. It makes him appear to know more than he does and gives him an expression of concern which the patient interprets as being on his behalf. "
