Rick Allen: “health care is in transition. Private and public purchasers of health care are turning to managed care. Today, more than…”

“health care is in transition. Private and public purchasers of health care are turning to managed care. Today, more than 160 million Americans are in managed care plans. The shift to managed care has implications for health care quality. Managed care must be more than managed cost. On the cover of today's Washington Post is a story about a woman who fell from a cliff while hiking. She had fractures to her skull, arm and pelvis. Her HMO refused to pay her hospital bills, saying she had failed to obtain preauthorization. Only after several court battles did the HMO pay anything for this woman's care. This is unacceptable. Individuals must have access to and payment for emergency care in any situation that a prudent layperson would regard as an emergency. Every American deserves quality care. Managed care reforms are necessary to ensure that managed care is quality care.”