A Doctor Whistle Blower tells all, working from within the medical profession for your rights and protection.
Download the Consumer Protection Healthcare Handbook (over 100 pages of detailed information to help you deal with your healthcare issues) online, through secured and encrypted transaction protocol.
Why you should be concerned about the Healthcare you receive from your HMO, Insurance Company and Doctor.
Everything you need to know about protecting your healthcare in one easy to read handbook. (Excerpts from the handbook are available here on the site)
Join the dialog - tell us what you think about this site and the handbook, talk about your HMO, give your views on healthcare reform, etc. Dr. A will join in the discussion from time to time, as her busy schedule permits.
Sites on the web which Dr. A recommends to complement and supplement the information in the handbook.
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Some distressing HMO facts:
Nurses are now making medical decisions that in the past were made only by doctors. Doctors are signing contracts with HMOs and not telling their patients that they are getting paid more to provide less medical care. Some HMOs and Insurance Companies are making up their own standards of medical care based on the opinions of incompetent and non-objective physicians. Some physicians and nurses working for HMOs and insurance companies are getting bonuses for denying medical care or reimbursement to patients. Some physicians (gatekeepers) who work for HMOs get more money the more they deny emergency room care. Some HMOs and insurance companies have doctors working for them to do medical reviews who are unqualified, have had their licenses suspended or are on probation. Some hospitals give financial bonuses to nurse managers who run medical units or floors if they come under their budget by using fewer nurses to take care of patients. There are GAG clauses that physicians must sign in some HMO contracts that forbid them to criticize the HMO or to tell the patient about needed medical care that the HMO disapproves of or does not provide. Some HMOs retaliate by firing doctors who do not follow their rules even if their rules may be dangerous to patients. Some HMOs and insurance companies retaliate against doctors who send their patients to specialist too many times, or too soon, or order expensive tests that the doctor feels is necessary but the HMO does not.
Facts alone aren't enough. You need a full understanding of how your HMO works in order to protect yourself.