shape up, 1  to assume a specific form: The plan is beginning to shape up. 2  to evolve or develop, especially favorably. 3  to improve one's behavior or performance to meet a required standard. 4  to get oneself into good physical condition. ( 5 of longshoremen) to get into a line or formation in order to be assigned the day's work.
The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a broad overview of managed care, including the scope and complexity of the issues facing nurses and consumers as the health care industry continues to consolidate and shift away from traditional fee-for-service financing.
Simply stated, managed care is a system that integrates the financing and delivery of appropriate health care using a comprehensive set of services. Managed care is any method of organizing health care providers to achieve the dual goals of controlling health care costs and managing quality of care. In the United States, we have a private and competitive health insurance system which will cause managed care to continue to evolve.