Managed care companies, finding the...

Managed care companies, finding themselves trapped between consumer demanding freedom to pick their providers and the ever-escalating outlay of providing health care, are adopting programs that allow consumer to decide which hospitals or doctors they want to pass to as long as they pay a greater percentage of the provider's bill if they opt for more expensive care.

Both health-maintenance and preferred-provider organizations are testing the waters by dint of placing hospitals or doctors into different classes, and charging members more for visiting the more expensive options. It's a growing incline that may not be sustainable unles insurers are ultimately