Healthcare 2011 - Special Report

With so many Americans working as consultants or freelancers because of the bad economy, more people are paying for their own coverage. Here's a guide to finding a provider.

Many consumers assume that their health insurer, hospital, or state medical licensing agency has vetted physicians who are open for business, but oversight isn't what you might think.

What if doctors' offices were like gym memberships? Pay a monthly fee and come as often as you like — no insurance, no deductible, no paperwork, no bill. That's the direct primary care model, and it's now available in states around the country.

The simple reasons? A complicated system and the profit motive. But it's also the result of a national cost-benefit analysis — high-quality care with broad access means higher costs.

What used to be mostly a matter of phony billing has spread to questionable medical procedures and identity theft, costing patients and insurers more than ever.

Though progress has been made, the next couple years will decide whether the government-led effort is a success.