MANAGED CARE: Medical Board Warns Against Bureaucratic Medicine
The California State Medical Board has passed a resolution that says the "making of a decision regarding the medical necessity ... of any treatment constitutes the practice of medicine," and "that anyone making such a decision without a medical license is violating California law." The Business Journal of San Jose reports that "some observers wonder if this is an attempt to rein in 'utilization review,'" noting that while the board's resolutions carry no legal weight, "it could influence state legislators." Board spokesperson Candis Cohen said, "This resolution is another way the board is expressing its commitment to the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship" (Delevett, 6/8).
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