Utilization of Allied Health Personnel in HMOs

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) have become a significant component of the health care delivery system and thus provide employment opportunities for allied health professionals. This study investigated the utilization of selected allied health services and personnel in a national sample of HMO settings. Significant utilization of allied health services were reported both through provision of services in-house and through contractual arrangements. Smaller HMOs tended to use several allied health services in-house, while larger HMOs used both in-house and contractual services. Younger HMOs tended to utilize contractual arrangements while older HMOs utilized in-house services. Staff and group HMOs tended to have the highest utilization of health manpower with the larger, older HMOs employing more of those personnel.