Watch Out for Unintended Consequences

Once upon a time, health maintenance organizations would advertise the exceptional measures they took to improve the health of their members. The idea was to reassure members that, if they got sick, they would get just as good, if not better, care than they would in a traditional health insurance plan. HMOs would tout how very sick members were nursed back to health by the dedicated professionals in the HMO.

The strategy backfired. HMOs began attracting sicker members who, in turn, raised costs. When HMOs began denying care to control costs, their reputation was tarnished.

The lesson is simple: watch what your advertising says; you may get what you wish for.