ABSTRACT
Managed care accreditations and certifications are the first major steps in addressing the current public perceptions concerning managed care ethics and economics. The rise of managed care has signaled the beginning of a period of profound transformation in the health care delivery system. The changes raise many ethical questions regarding the values that should guide the broad formulation of health policy. A major question concerns the conflict between the traditional values of patient benefit and autonomy and the values of economic self-interest, profit-taking, and economic efficiency. An accreditation review is a voluntary process requested by an employer. The health plan submits to an offsite and an onsite review by a team of surveyors consisting of physicians and quality experts. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. (AAAHC) of Skokie, Illinois, was established in 1979.
