One justification for Congressional support of Health Maintenance Organizations has been the supposition that they promote preventive medicine. This study found HMO members no more likely overall to receive appropriate cancer checkups than individuals with traditional (reimbursement) insurance coverage, although in the under-40 age category, HMO members were more likely to receive the checkups. The study identified reminders, rather than type of health plan coverage, as the key predictor of obtaining checkups.
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