The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
A preferred provider organization (PPO) is a network of doctors and hospitals who form a corporation to provide medical services to self-insured businesses or for health insurance companies. A preferred provider organization negotiates with the business or insurance company to provide medical services at discounted rates in return for a large volume of patients. For members, a preferred provider organization is the least restrictive form of managed care organization. Many employers offer a preferred provider organization to help employees get used to managed care. Preferred provider organizations are the most popular type of employer-sponsored health plan in the United States. In 1999, Medicare added preferred provider organizations to its menu of health care insurance options.
A preferred provider organization is not like a health maintenance organization. Members choose from a large list of providers in private practice. They generally pay a small co-payment to see a network provider and can see providers outside of the network by paying extra. They usually do not need a referral from their primary care doctor to see a specialist. The goal of a PPO is to lower costs for the insurance company, the employer, and the patient. A PPO uses a utilization review board to monitor the cost of health care by determining whether a patient should be hospitalized or not and whether services are medically necessary. This review can take place before, during, or after hospitalization. In some cases, a utilization review board monitors quality too.