HMO REVIEWS: Court Says Industry Can’t Be Trusted
In an op-ed in today's Los Angeles Times, Consumers for Quality Care Director Jamie Court argues that as California HMOs begin to "implement private 'independent' review systems" to resolve patient complaints (see related story), "legislators cannot trust the HMO industry's promise to reform itself." Court asserts that companies which bill themselves as "independent" often promote themselves to HMOs by promising a high percentage of care denials. He concludes, "Private review systems are no substitute for civic scrutiny such as in a court of law. Congress and the state Legislature must not be deterred from enacting legislation that gives patients the right to sue their HMOs and other such public mandates" (12/4).
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