Final answer:
The statement is false; managed care, including HMOs, often introduced new restrictions on healthcare use as a means to control costs and improve efficiency in the healthcare system, contradicting the notion that it removed significant restrictions on the use of services.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the introduction of managed care, specifically health maintenance organizations (HMOs), removed a number of significant restrictions on the use of services is false. Managed care organizations were introduced as a way to control costs and improve efficiency in the healthcare system. They do this by setting up networks of providers that members must use and by requiring pre-authorization for many services to prevent unnecessary or overly expensive procedures. This means that, far from removing restrictions, managed care often introduced new layers of oversight and limits on healthcare use.
The trend towards managed care in the United States was part of a larger movement towards efficiency and standardization within the healthcare system, which includes the consolidation of providers, the integration of technology like telemedicine, and changes in insurance regulation. This shift was partially a response to rising healthcare costs and the increasing demand for services, fueled by an aging population and various healthcare policy changes over the years.