According to a recent managed-care study prepared by Watson Wyatt, a number of human resources managers are taking steps to ensure that their relationships with their managed care providers are somewhat secure:
- Define what you want from your vendor. This can be spelled out in the original selection process, but there should be follow up during regular reassessments to determine if the vendor is working up to spec.
- Use formal performance guarantees. These ensure that expectations are communicated in crystal-clear, quantifiable terms.
- Reinforce expectations with performance monitoring. Ongoing performance monitoring allows you to determine whether the managed-care provider is slipping or improving.
- Hold regular meetings. There’s nothing like the old face-to-face to review performance and develop plans to address any problems before they get out of control. These meetings also serve to build a rapport between the vendor and the purchaser.