Word: last
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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That sounds to some critics like precertification by another name. "It can't be assumed these guys are behaving in the interest [of patients]," says Judith Feder, a health-policy expert at Georgetown University. Maybe not, but last week's decision demonstrated that even self-interest can start an HMO down the right path...
PARENTAL CONTROL Of the three temptations purveyed on the Internet--sex, alcohol and tobacco--don't count on screening software to shield your children from the last two. The Center for Media Education tested six of the most popular programs to see if they blocked sites that promote or sell alcohol or tobacco. There was only one, Surf Watch, that blocked more than half the sites. Until there's better software, the best advice is still to monitor kids' surfing habits...
...tests for colon cancer or even scheduling surgery, many doctors must submit their therapies and plans to company reviewers. Examples of denied care have produced the worst horror stories associated with managed care. The process has left doctors frustrated and patients anxious. It also fueled a revolt in Congress last month in which a band of rebel Republicans rolled over the House leadership to pass a bill giving patients the right to sue their insurance companies for the medical decisions they make...
...last week the HMO world produced a surprising decision that could delay or derail that bill in Congress. United HealthCare, the nation's second largest managed-care company, pulled the plug on precertification. The company, which is based in Minneapolis, Minn., and covers 14.5 million Americans, is betting the move will improve the quality of care and its bottom line, and maybe even help convince Congress that the HMOs can heal themselves. Nearly everyone applauded the decision, but practicing physicians were cheering loudest. Says cardiologist George Rodgers, in United's Austin, Texas, pilot program: "It's just made my work...
...voices were pretty much ignored again last week when an Oregon judge sentenced Kinkel, 17, to 111 years imprisonment with no possibility of parole. He had pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder, and his sentence was the severest penalty possible for a juvenile in Oregon...