Willing and able. Supreme Court ruling forces HMOs to open networks to any willing provider; some say it may wound managed-care industry.
In a decision some say could help end traditional managed care, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states have the power to force HMOs to open their networks to any healthcare provider willing to abide by the plans' terms. Elizabeth Johnson, left, counsel for the Kentucky Department of Insurance, says the decision will let states take on key healthcare issues that Congress has never been able to resolve.
Benko
Laura B
LB
D032982:Contracts / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D033161:Government Regulation; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007629:Kentucky; D020403:Patient Freedom of Choice Laws; D013219:State Government; D035521:Supreme Court Decisions; D014481:United States