A market analysis approach to bidding for capitated clinical laboratory and pathology services contracts.

Traditional episodic, fee-for-service medical care and indemnity-type insurance are rapidly being replaced by managed health care plans that often include financial risk assumption by health care providers. This paper describes the application of marketing principles to the evaluation and capture of capitated clinical laboratory and pathology services contracts. It includes a method for developing capitation rates and describes advantages enjoyed by hospital-based laboratories that enhance their competitiveness in the marketplace.