Home healthcare nursing in the managed care environment. Part I. Managed care: and overview.

Dramatic changes in the provision of healthcare from fee-for-service to managed care have had a definitive impact on consumers as well as providers. As providers and recipients of healthcare, home care nurses must be knowledgeable about managed care and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs): This article, part 1 of a two-part series, discusses the tenets of managed care and the different types of HMOs. Part 2, in next month's issue, discusses the historic background of home care and home care nurses perceptions of the impact that managed care has on clients and the practice of home care nursing.