Judge Moreno issued a series of orders this week in the consolidated Provider Track Managed Care Cases before him in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The series of orders were in response to earlier motions by the Defendants seeking to delay discovery while Defendant HMOs seek to have Judge Moreno’s class certification order of September overturned. Judge Moreno’s response allows the Plaintiff doctors to move forward aggressively with discovery and in accordance with the schedule established in earlier orders. Plaintiff physician attorneys have also completed the initial meeting with the court appointed mediator as required by Judge Moreno. The series of orders can be viewed at www.hmocrisis.com. A procedural history is also available by reviewing earlier updates at that site.
November 18, 2002--- Washington, DC - Mother Responds to HMO-Hospital
Fee Dispute
Elisabeth Russell, the mother of a child that has received life saving care at DC area Children’s Hospital, provides a mother’s perspective related to an on-going battle by Children’s Hospital to obtain what the hospital believes to be reasonable compensation from CareFirst for services provided to area subscribers. “How can it be that families like mine with Blue Cross insurance, for which we pay ever higher premiums, might be denied access to the best pediatric hospital in the region?” noted Ms. Russell. The complete letter is available at www.washingtonpost.com. For additional information concerning HMO litigation, please go to www.hmocrisis.com.