Los Angeles Times Examines 2002 California Law Requiring Timely Appointment Access For HMO Members

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 07 Feb 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday examined the effects of a 2002 California law that requires the state Department of Managed Health Care to ensure HMO patients have timely access to appointments with physicians. According to the Times, enactment of the law "has not been prompt," and DMHC released its proposed rules three years late in 2007. When HMOs and physician groups "objected to them, the department scrapped the rules in favor of ones that let health plans come up with their own methods of complying with the law," according to the Times.

Consumer advocates "charge that the way the department is putting the law into action controverts" the original intent of the law, and physician groups argue that the rules "will revive one of the characteristics consumers have historically disliked most about HMOs: their tendency to micromanage how, when and for how long doctors can see patients," the Times reports. In addition, HMOs and physician groups say that mandating a set time within which patients must have an appointment would require them to limit time spent with other patients. Health plans have until October to submit plans to ensure timely access, with a pending review by the department (Rau, Los Angeles Times, 2/5).

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