MSMA issues statement on patients? choice of doctors

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Patients ought to be able to choose a physician and health care plan without any impediment from third parties, such as government and health care institutions, according to a statement by the Missouri State Medical Association. |ret||ret||tab|

With its written position, published in its publication, Progress Notes, the MSMA has entered the dispute involving eight Springfield physicians who are suing St. John's Health Systems Inc. and St. John's Physicians and Clinics Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

The doctors claim that St. John's plans to eliminate them from its managed care provider network, Premier Health Plans, an allegation that St. John's denies, according to spokesman Mike Peters.|ret||ret||tab|

In Progress Notes, the association stated that the relationship between patient and doctor has become increasingly "strained by the outside intervention of third parties." |ret||ret||tab|

That relationship has always been viewed by MSMA as paramount, but pressure on that relationship by government, private payers and public health care institutions has mounted, MSMA stated.|ret||ret||tab|

In the lawsuit filed in May, the doctors of the Woman's Clinic and two other physicians claim that because St. John's has exclusive agreements with managed care organizations the Woman's Clinic physicians can't directly contract with health care plans for their patients. |ret||ret||tab|

They claim they are in danger of losing access to their patients and will be put out of business. The suit was filed in federal court in Springfield by six obstetrician-gynecologists of the Woman's Clinic, and Dr. Howard Follis and Dr. Thomas McClain.|ret||ret||tab|

The MSMA statement came at the request of Woman's Clinic member Dr. David Redfern and on the heels of similar statements by the American Medical Association and the Greene County Medical Society. |ret||ret||tab|

In its endorsement of the AMA position, the MSMA stated that "the free choice of physicians is the right of every person. A patient may select or change at will her/his own physicians, or the patient may choose a medical care plan provided by a closed panel or group practice or health maintenance or service organizations. |ret||ret||tab|

"A patient's freedom to select her/his preferred physician and health care plan is essential to proper access and quality care. Any unreasonable restrictions that disrupt a physician's ability to practice in a specific area or for a specific time serves to deprive patients of care and undermines established patient/physician relationships."|ret||ret||tab|

The MSMA statement added that "any practice arrangements or third-party contracts which have the potential to interfere with the opportunity for patients to choose their physician, disrupt the pa-tient/physician relationship or force physicians to leave communities in order to practice is counterproductive to quality medical care."[[In-content Ad]]