Review Health Plans

* As HMOs make great strides in improving quality (“Many Managed Care Firms Get Good Marks in Survey,” Sept. 7), we note that there is no similar review of fee-for-service or traditional indemnity-type health plans. Most conspicuous is the absence of data on either our state-run Medicaid or our federally mandated Medicare. While our legislators purport to be watchdogs, they seem to have forgotten to look at the health care programs under their own purview. Perhaps Sacramento and Washington should be reminded that quality begins at home.

MARVIN J. GORDON MD

Laguna Beach