What is the primary focus of managed care in health insurance?

The primary focus of managed care in health insurance is to reduce healthcare costs. Managed care organizations implement various strategies to control costs while maintaining the quality of care provided to patients. This is achieved through measures such as coordinating care among different providers, employing preventive health strategies, managing chronic conditions, and promoting the use of cost-effective treatments and services.

Managed care aims to balance the need for quality health services with affordable access to those services, often resulting in structured networks of providers and limited choices in treatment options compared to traditional insurance plans. While patient choice, provider autonomy, and the prevention of fraud are certainly important considerations within managed care, the overarching goal remains cost reduction to improve efficiency in healthcare delivery.