The unique and specialized skills and competencies in vascular disease management and intervention have evolved rapidly over the past decade and now define and require a separate specialty. However, this evolutionary process has met with hostile opposition and rejection from The American Board of Surgery (ABS).
The managed care industry is dominated by fewer that 10 large health plans. The majority of HMOs and PPOs are in the "middle" while there are 300 plans with fewer than 20,000 members each.