Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!decvax!tektronix!hplabs!hao!seismo!brl-tgr!abc From: abc@brl-tgr.ARPA (Brint Cooper ) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: DRG/HMOs and quality of Patient Care (provocative) Message-ID: <6743@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Sat, 22-Dec-84 15:34:02 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.6743 Posted: Sat Dec 22 15:34:02 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 27-Dec-84 02:21:33 EST References: <> <147@ski.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Ballistic Research Lab Lines: 16 > My family & I just switched from conventional health insurance > to the Take Care HMO, mainly because the HMO is cheaper. It occurred to > me that the payment scheme would encourage under-treatment, but > malpractice suits (which encourage over-treatment) are still a factor, > and I'm betting that the two influences will cancel, resulting in > appropriate treatment. I, too, find certain advantages in an HMO. However, I suffer from a chronic, presently uncurable neuromuscular disease. If I don't get the correct treatment, I could be totally unproductive, even die. The most competent care for this nearby is at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and a few "outside" neurologists with staff and adjunct faculty priveleges there. I have yet to see an HMO that would allow me to see these people and be treated at Hopkins. Am I wrong? Brint