GOVERNMENTHawaii medical society sues major insurerState courts in more than a half-dozen states have seen similar lawsuits filed on behalf of physicians.By Tanya Albert, amednews staff. Sept. 2, 2002. The Hawaii Medical Assn. in August sued the state's dominant health plan in state court, claiming that the company arbitrarily overrules physicians' medical decisions and has established policies to underpay physicians. HMA sued the Hawaii Medical Services Assn. and filed a proposed class-action suit against the health plan on behalf of Hawaii's physicians. "We have tried everything over the years to get HMSA to deal fairly and reasonably with physicians," said HMA President Gerald J. McKenna, MD. "Our efforts have been in vain." Some of the other complaints HMA makes in the lawsuit are that the health plan:
"Our HMA member physicians have told us some real-life examples of these abuses," Dr. McKenna said. "Anesthesiologists have been told that they don't need to be present during the administration of anesthesia for certain procedures that the HMSA has decided can be done without an anesthesiologist. This despite the best medical judgment by the physician that his or her presence is necessary." HMSA did not have an immediate response to specific claims the lawsuit makes. "We are reviewing the suit, and we will be responding to the court in the next few weeks," said Cliff Cisco, a senior vice president for HMSA.
[...]
Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2002 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
|
Feature articlesHealth reform review The Massachusetts experience Litigation stress Being sued is personal as well as professional Comprehensive coverage
Most-viewedNov. 23 issueAMA meeting: Delegate vote refines AMA stance on system reform Liability premiums stay stable, but insurers warn this might not last Columns and series
From the vault: 5 years agoState tort reform ballot wins set stage for further battles Nov. 22, 2004 
|
SHARE
