Kendra S. Horn: “I was shocked when I read in yesterday's Long Beach Press Telegram an article that originated in the New York Times…”

“I was shocked when I read in yesterday's Long Beach Press Telegram an article that originated in the New York Times concerning the administration's shelving of rules as they concern HMO's, health maintenance organizations. For years I have felt very strongly that most doctors I know and most Americans I know do not want a doctor to be paid a bonus because that doctor does not refer the patient to the specialist whom is needed to solve a particular problem. Probably each of our district offices has had one or more cases where our constituents have complained of that type of treatment under both Medicaid and Medicare depending on the type of health organization they have gone to. Let me read the first two paragraphs of this article: Facing a torrent of criticism from health maintenance organizations, the Clinton administration has temporarily shelved new rules that would have restricted the common HMO practice of rewarding doctors who cut costs and control the use of services by Medicare and Medicaid patients. On March 27, the administration issued rules to protect consumers by limiting the use of such financial incentives to reward doctors. But after the protests by HMO's health maintenance organizations the Department of Health and Human Services quietly suspended enforcement of the rules, which are mandated by a 1990 law.”