The HMO, Taking It All Apart, The End of a Dream

About the Book

The basic health care system in the United States is not working and must be fixed.  In this book, Dr. Gumbner discusses his theories of what does and does not make HMOs work.  He also deals with the machinations of Wall Street, the investors' mind-set and the objectives of the HMO.    It covers the take over of the HMO industry by the health and accident insurance companies and their current offerings of HMOs that are not HMOs but disguised health and accident insurance companies.  Included is the difference between the IPAs and the staff model HMOs and other attemps at health care delivery financing with an explanation of how raiders accomplished back door takeovers of successful companies and destory them.   He provides advice to retiring founders and CEOs who want to remain chairman of the board of directors, get the job done and stay in control in a changing environment.  Dr. Gumbiner explains his management theories regarding successful HMO management plus the relationship with members of the board of directors.

About the Author

Robert Gumbiner, M.D., a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, has been a lifetime advocate of continuing education.  Over the last forty years he has focused on management education emphasizing human factors.  He has traveled the world examining the health care delivery systems of various countries including the Communist countries, Socialistic countries, Social Democrat countries, Third World countries and served as a consultant to the Swedish government health planning organization and to the British health care system during the term of Margaret Thatcher.  He has had the opportunity to practice as a solo fee-for-service physician, a founder of several medical groups and the originator of one of the first staff model HMOs, which he managed as a non-profit for almost twenty years.  The organization was converted into a for-profit and finally into a public company serving over one million clients in seven states.