supported complementary alternative medicine (CAM) for alternative care among studies on the use of alternative medicine among the general. public. …
1999 nationwide HMO study of alternative care
The Landmark Report II
on HMOs and Alternative Care
A b o u tt Abou tt h ii ss h
ss tt u d yy ud
Undeniably, the demand for alternative care among health care consumers is growing, as evidenced by several recent studies on the use of alternative medicine among the general public To date, however, there has been little published information about the perceptions of a key link in the future of alternative care–the health maintenance organizations HMOs which lie at the center of the managed care system in the United States To gain a better understanding of how HMOs view alternative care, their current and planned addition of these therapies to their product offerings, their motivations for adding or not adding these therapies, and their beliefs about the future of alternative care in the United States, Landmark Healthcare, Inc commissioned a study on HMOs and alternative care
HMOs and their alternative care programs
33 of HMOs
do not
offer alternative care
67 of HMOs
offer at least one type of alternative care therapy
Conducted from late November 1998 through early January 1999, this study consisted of telephone interviews with 114 senior executives of HMOs from across the country Commissioned by Landmark, a California-based complementary alternative health care company, and conducted by National Market Measures, Inc, a full-service marketing research company, the purpose of the study was to examine the alternative care market from the standpoint of HMOs As the organizations at the forefront of managed health care in the United States, HMOs have the potential to play a significant role in the future of alternative care over the next decade The population of HMOs nationwide that qualified for this study was 449, so this sample represents 25 of the entire universe In a random sample of 114, the maximum statistical error is 79 in a two-way split of the data at the 95 confidence level after applying the finite
population correction factor
This includes 5 of HMOs that offer chiropractic but do not consider it to be alternative care
Selected findings from a nationwide study of HMO senior executives examining their perceptions, the prevalence and future of alternative care in the United States
Selected
Types of alternative care currently offered by HMOs
Chiropractic Acupuncture Massage Therapy Vitamin Therapy Relaxation Therapy Herbal Therapy Homeopathy Guided Imagery Acupressure Stress Management Tai Chi Yoga Biofeedback Naturopathy Nutritional Therapy Hypnotherapy
6 5 30 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 2
21 think
alternative care reduces total health care costs
10 20 30 40 50 60 70
F
i
n
d
i
n
g
s
Average proportion of membership provided with alternative care among HMOs that offer it
65
The most common type of alternative care is chiropractic, which is offered by two-thirds of all HMOs
Most important reasons HMOs add alternative care among HMOs that offer it
Members, employers, groups
asked Required by law, mandate Clinically effective
70 60 48 50 40 56
This 8 percentage point change represents a 17 increase
38 reasons for adding
The most important alternative care are to
31 11
38 meet member, employer 8 7 5 4
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
and group demand or legal requirements
Differentiate from competitors Meet competition Attract members
0
20 10 0 Now 2-3 Years
Perceived impact of alternative care on total health care costs
Relationship between alternative and traditional care
0 think that care will move further apart
Outlook on consumer demand for alternative care
0 think there will be no
consumer demand for alternative care
Reflexology 1 Meditation 1
0
15 think there will be no change 49 think
34 believe
demand will be strong
40 believe demand
will be moderate
Nearly three-fourths of HMOs believe consumer demand will be moderate to strong Figures do not total 100 due to rounding
30 think alternative care has a neutral impact on total health care
costs
alternative care adds to total health care costs
85 think care will move closer together
27 believe demand will be mild
About Landmark Healthcare
Landmark Healthcare, Inc is a national health care company expressly focusing on complementary and alternative pathways to health With a long history of arranging for clinically supported complementary alternative medicine CAM programs within the managed care environment, Landmark continues to broaden the array of CAM products available to the US health care market Landmark will continue to assess the market and future for complementary alternative care, its legitimacy and clinical efficacy–sharing this information with the community at large and with health care professionals, given the relevance of this information in decision-making about overall health care For more information about this study, to request a full report, or to find out more about Landmark, please visit our web site at wwwlandmarkhealthcarecom or call us at 800
638-4557
1750 Howe Avenue, Suite 300 Sacramento, CA 95825 800 638-4557 wwwlandmarkhealthcarecom 1999 Landmark Healthcare, Inc
Source:landmarkhealthcare.com
