The Year in Preview

Government reform of the managed-care industry will be at the top of the agenda. Expect to see a flurry of legislation in Washington and Sacramento now that federal and state commissions have issued recommendations on how to better protect consumers enrolled in HMOs and other health plans. The fate of hospital giant Columbia/HCA, the target of a sweeping federal criminal investigation, will become clearer in 1998. A record-setting government fine and the sale of scores of Columbia’s hospitals and other health-care operations are a safe bet.