UCSF, Brown & Toland Medical Groups Square Off Over Disaffiliation

UC-San Francisco's medical group and Brown & Toland Physicians are starting to take aim at each other after a recent dispute spurred the organizations to terminate their prior affiliation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

For the past 13 years, Brown & Toland physicians could easily refer their HMO patients to UCSF specialists.

However, the two groups recently decided to end their affiliation because of disagreements over the terms of their relationship.

Beginning Dec. 31, UCSF will end its contract with Brown & Toland and begin a new relationship with Hill Physicians.

However, Brown & Toland patients with certain major medical conditions will be able to continue seeing their UCSF doctors through Dec. 31, 2010, under continuity of care regulations.

Public Campaigns

Last month, UCSF launched a $600,000 campaign designed to inform as many as 160,000 HMO members that UCSF ended its contract with Brown & Toland.

The campaign includes a television commercial suggesting that certain HMO members could lose access to UCSF specialists.

In response, Brown & Toland began distributing letters this month telling patients that the UCSF advertisements are misleading.

Brown & Toland also sent a letter about the matter to the UC Board of Regents.