HEALTH CARE REFORM: L.A. Times Calls On Davis
Noting that frustrations with managed care have "reached a record high," an editorial in today's Los Angeles Times calls on Gov. Gray Davis not to "lose sight of health care" as he pursues education reform. The Times urges Davis to establish a "speedy" external appeals process to replace the "lengthy" internal appeals processes now in place. The Times also calls on state regulators to work with consumer, employer and medical groups to develop quality guidelines for evaluating the efficacy and cost of health plans and treatment options. Finally, the Times urges Davis to move HMO regulation out of the Department of Corporations and into the state Department of Health and Human Services. The editorial concludes that California -- a state in which most residents are covered through managed care -- "should not be a laggard in finding effective ways to see that the industry it helped to pioneer remains a successful model of quality and cost-efficient health care" (3/4).
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