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Over the course of history researchers have studied the health care industry to determine plausible advantages or disadvantages of managed care and its policy. Said research has helped the community to understand segmentation, managed care, and their relationship. Managed care positively influences the health care industry by offering consumers a broad array of services, promoting organizational advancement (Elrod & Fortenberry, 2018), and reducing the risk of liability. Managed care protects both consumers and the health care industry by ensuring quality of patient care and adequate medical treatment to consumers. Managed care improves access to services and ensures affordable costs to consumers.

Historically, the health care industry developed plans considering the needs of employers with no consideration to the needs of consumers. Once the plans were developed, the health care industry used marketing strategies to sell said plans to employers (Tootelian, Mikhailitchenko, Holst, & Gaedeke, 2016). Consumers were forced to choose a plan regardless of the cost or benefit.

The health care industry has now changed tailoring plans to benefit the consumer and giving consumers freedom of choice. Consumers have become involved in their treatment, health care options, and empowered to select managed care plans that satisfy their needs (Tootelian et al., 2016). Employers still have the ability to select managed care plans offered to their employees but the health care industry is now forced to create managed care plans that appeal to both employees and employers (Tootelian et al., 2016). The health care industry has changed significantly for consumers affording them the possibility to choose a health plan that satisfies their needs.

References

Elrod, J. K., & Fortenberry, J. L. (2018). Target marketing in the health services industry: The value of journeying off the beaten path. BMC Health Services Research, 18(Suppl 3), 17-21. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.5fafd8506a824381aea3301a29579d0a&site=eds-live&scope=site

Tootelian, D. H., Mikhailitchenko, A., Holst, C., & Gaedeke, R. M. (2016). How much segmentation is needed in the health care marketplace? An exploratory study of HMO and non-HMO customers. Health Marketing Quarterly, 33(1), 31-47. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=113745622&site=eds-live&scope=site