GOVERNMENTNews in brief - Dec. 11, 2006Mont. hospital drops suit against physician-owned facility - Mass. residents support universal care law, poll finds Mont. hospital drops suit against physician-owned facilityA Montana community hospital in November dropped its lawsuit against a physician group over its operation of a competing surgical center. The move came one month after the Montana Supreme Court rejected Benefis Healthcare's claim that the Great Falls Clinic violated a state moratorium on doctor-owned specialty hospitals when it purchased Central Montana Surgical Hospital. The court refused Benefis' request to stop the doctors from running the facility. Benefis said the financial cost of pursuing the lawsuit was not in the best interest of patients. But the hospital said it planned in the 2007 legislative session to oppose physician-owned specialty hospitals. Great Falls Clinic did not comment on Benefis' decision. Earlier, the doctors said they were operating the former ambulatory surgery center, renamed Central Montana Hospital, as a general hospital to give patients more choice in the area, where Benefis is the only community hospital. Mass. residents support universal care law, poll findsTwo out of three Massachusetts adults support the state's universal health care law, according to a September poll of more than 1,000 randomly selected residents 18 years and older by the Harvard School of Public Health. The poll found that 80% of the public is at least somewhat familiar with the law, which is designed to provide health coverage to nearly all of the state's residents within three years. Also, 70% of the public supports requiring businesses to offer health insurance or pay a penalty, although some expressed concern that this could hurt small businesses or lead to higher taxes. About half support the state requirement that individuals buy health insurance. Copyright 2006 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. |
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