US and UK can learn from each other
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
While financing and delivering healthcare in the UK and the US will remain fundamentally different, "interesting parallels between GP fundholding and ... health maintenance organisations" were drawn by UK Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley. During her visit to the US last month (see Clinica No 656, p 3), she noted that the US prepaid group practices and UK GP fundholders each combine primary care free of charge, are gatekeepers for secondary care and have budgets which are circumscribed for the enrolled or registered patient. "Both compete with other forms of care to attract patients. Both have incentives to search actively for higher quality and more effective care."