Growing Number of Hospitals Directly Providing Insurance

A growing number of hospitals and health systems are directly providing insurance coverage as they face pressure to accept flat rates for care rather than reimbursements for every service. Experts say that once hospital systems become insurers and must pay for hospitalizations rather than generating revenue from them, their focus will shift to preventive care.

• "Hospitals Look To Become Insurers, as Well as Providers of Care" (Caryn Rabin, Kaiser Health News/Washington Post, 8/26).