Managed care has contributed to the transformation of health care delivery across the nation. While managed care
originated in the United States, its delivery style has spread internationally. Managed care can be discussed in two
different contexts. The first framework describes an approach to health care delivery and is described as the
integration of the financing, insurance, delivery, and payment functions within an organizational setting (Shi and Singh,
2019, p. 4). The second term could refer to a physical Managed Care Organization (MCO) which could be different
settings (Shi and Singh, 2019, p. 361). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, a health care reform initiative, is
enriched with managed care strategies. After reading the background information, conduct additional research and
respond to the following questions.
Case Assignment
Use what you learned from the module’s required readings and your own research to answer the following questions in
your paper.
1. What is managed care and how did it evolve?
2. Discuss the current state of managed care in the U. S. Health system. Describe two efficiencies and two
inefficiencies in managed care.
3. Why is it important for policy makers and health care managers to understand the intricacies of the health care
delivery system?
4. Briefly describe some impacts of health care reform initiatives on managed care in the U.S.