Patients: Speak Up if Forced to Change MDs

So many families now face leaving their family physician (or pediatrician) simply because their medical insurance necessitates a preferred provider organization managed-care plan that either rejects their doctor from participation or denies both services and payments. They lament having to leave the care of doctors who have served them well over many years ... but economically they have no other choice. Is this right? Is this what America wants? Are doctors to be the unofficial employees of the medical insurance companies? It is not difficult to see how third parties destroy important relationships. America, speak up; enough is enough.

Gary M. Gorlick MD

Los Angeles