Managed Care is an approach or system of health care that manages the use of healthcare services, controls their costs, and evaluates the performance of healthcare providers. It is also considered as an approach to funding and providing healthcare services which focuses on controlling costs and enhancing the quality of care through several methods. Some of these methods that are used in managed care to help accomplish the described objectives include quality assurance, utilization management, and provider network management. Notably, the likelihood of managed care to enhance quality, accessibility, and plans of healthcare services depends on various factors.

In today's health care system, managed care plans exist in various types with the two common types being Health Maintenance Organizations and Preferred Provider Organizations. While most of the other types of managed care plans being hybrids of the two, individuals are required to know the details of their specific managed care...
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