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(Circulation. 1997;95:765.)
© 1997 American Heart Association, Inc.

Articles

Recent Polls and Reports Show Strong Support for Maintenance of Quality in Managed Care

Richard S. Hamburg, MPA; Scott D. Ballin, JD

the Office of Public Affairs, American Heart Association, Washington, DC.

Correspondence to the Office of Public Affairs, American Heart Association, #810, 1150 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036.

	Introduction

 
The American Heart Association (AHA) supports the principle that all residents of the United States should have prompt access to and coverage for appropriate quality medical care, particularly for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The AHA also advocates the development of guidelines for appropriate patient care and supports research into methods to measure quality, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.

With this in mind, the AHA has gone before federal policy makers to express its concern regarding certain practices used in some managed care settings. A recent survey and report sponsored by the Patient Access to Specialty Care Coalition, including the AHA, has indicated a high level of patient concern over some of these practices of managed care providers. The survey found that 95.1% of respondents felt they should have access to more information about whether an HMO offers financial incentives to physicians to restrict care for cost-containment purposes. Nearly 90% of respondents indicated they considered cost a less important deciding factor in selecting a healthcare plan than access to specialists and treatments of their choice. More than 90% surveyed would not trust a doctor if they knew the doctor was forced, through "gag" clauses and incentives, to limit care. Over half the survey respondents indicated they did not have enough information about managed care practices.

House Representative Greg Ganske (R-IA) was the primary sponsor of the Patient Right to Know Act of 1996. The bill would have prevented all health plans from imposing "gag" clauses in physician contracts that could restrict or interfere . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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