Final answer:
Typically, in a fee-for-service health financing system, the payment of a health claim is made directly to the healthcare provider. HMOs follow a different method with a fixed reimbursement model that pays providers per patient. Today's healthcare providers often receive compensation through a mix of these models.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the realm of healthcare finance, specifically within a fee-for-service system, healthcare providers are compensated based on the specific services they render. When a health claim is settled, the typical payment arrangement is for the insurer to pay the healthcare provider directly for those services. In contrast, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) operate on a different model where providers are reimbursed based on the number of patients, rather than the volume of services.
This structure intends to mitigate the issue of moral hazard by providing incentives to healthcare providers to efficiently manage their patients' care. Despite the shift towards HMOs and managed care models, many providers today receive a hybrid of fixed per-patient payments plus additional fees for certain types of care or conditions. Understanding these systems is crucial to comprehending how payments and incentives affect healthcare delivery and insurance markets.