(Szatala, 2000) Information Management continued to be among one of the fastest growing aspects in Medicare and other facets in the business world. The article delves into the new found necessities that are incumbent in information management. There are integrated systems that have different modules for financial aspects, marketing, clinical, etc., however that all share the same common data elements. The article goes further to advice what makes this system effective. This method makes it where no one has to take the time to enter data repeatedly, the data is collected up front and are distributed to other modules simultaneously. This in essence will save staff time and remove instances of possible errors.

             However even with positives there are negatives, Szatala (2000) does a wonderful job in this article describing the positive in the database. (Schultz, 1999) reports that there should be concern regarding financial aspects of the database. The government's chief watchdog for the year-2000 computer crisis yesterday disputed administration claims that Medicare computers would be fixed in time to prevent disruption of payments to hospitals and doctors after Jan. 1. Joel Willemssen, director of the General Accounting Office's accounting and information management division, said, "There is a high probability of system failures" in Medicare's computers that pay approximately $288 billion worth of medical bills for 70 million elderly people. His assessment contradicted Nancy-Ann DeParle, administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), who told the House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on government management, information, and technology that Medicare users should not expect any disruptions in their payment or services. (Schultz, 1999, p. 4).

             Managed care organizations want understandable, reliable information to help them decide which long-term care facility is best able to provide cost-effective care, and the facility wants to be able to profit from the contract.