MASSACHUSETTS: TO PROVIDE DOCTOR DISCIPLINE DATA TO PUBLIC
Massachusetts will become the first state to makeThis is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
malpractice and hospitals' physician discipline records available
to the public. Starting Thursday, consumers can call a toll-free
number and obtain up to 10 reports free of charge -- either by
mail or fax. Accessible information will include malpractice
settlements and judgments, disciplinary actions against doctors
and criminal records (see AHL 8/12). However, "a plan to put
those records on the Internet has been put on hold" (WALL STREET
JOURNAL, 11/5).
FIRST STEP: Deirdre Cummings, consumer affairs director for
the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, said the move
"puts for the first time a lot of information that was kept
behind closed doors into the hands of consumers, and they can use
that information as one tool to choose a physician." She called
the public disclosure action "truly a revolutionary step."
Florida, California, Wisconsin and New York are considering
similar physician discipline and record disclosure laws,
AP/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports.
STRESS RELEASE?: Controversy surrounds the release of the
information on the Internet, according to AP/INQUIRER. In
general, doctors oppose posting the information on the Internet,
"arguing that physicians in risky specialties may draw more
malpractice claims." Leonard Morse, an internist and infectious-
disease specialist, said physicians "will begin to avoid high-
risk patients." He added that the release of information could
add to the high stress levels of many physicians, noting that
about 100 doctors committed suicide last year. "If you're doing
everything you can and you get sued, it's a devastating
experience," he said (Webster, 11/5).
CHILDREN'S INSURANCE: In other news, Massachusetts launched
"its biggest expansion of free and low-cost health insurance in
eight years" last week, targeting an estimated 160,000 youths
under age 19. BOSTON GLOBE reports that the state's Medical
Security Plan was "enacted last summer over Gov. William Weld's
veto" (see AHL 7/25) and was "launched last week with little
fanfare." The initiative is financed by a $0.25 per pack
increase on the state cigarette tax. The new tax, which became
effective Oct. 1, is "bringing in about $8.3 million a month --
much more than the state expects to spend on the program next
year." Seventy percent of the new tax revenue, or $70 million a
year, will provide coverage for children and teens. The
remaining $30 million will subsidize prescription drug expenses
for low-income seniors in a program to begin next summer.
OPPOSITION: GLOBE reports that "[m]any child-health
activists have been frustrated by the way the previous program
has been run," adding that when spending estimates "turned out to
be too high, Weld administration officials closed enrollment to
the Children's Medical Security Plan" for nine months. Critics
have also complained that the program's contracting insurance
company "has not done enough outreach to eligible families."
David Mulligan, state health commissioner, said, "There is more
than adequate funding at this moment for this program. The
challenge is to find the kids and get them enrolled" (Knox,
11/3).