A ruinous trade. And one that simply won t work. Jordan Cohen, President of the Amer. Humana said it had over 3,800 Humana Gold clients in Southeastern Wisconsin. The physicians of St. Luke s Heart Plan have filed suit against St. Luke s Medical center saying the hospital violated its contract by not sharing profits it made from a rate hike passed on to Health Care Network.
Doctors have a right and duty to question whether managed care companies are compromising care.
But there is good reason to question whether there needs to be a union to do that. Employing tough cost control methods and driving hard bargains with health care providers, managed care companies have done what they were asked. But they have inspired a backlash in the bargain. Doctors incomes have been curtailed along with their freedom as practitioners. While they may technically be in dependent contractors, they have become, in fact, worker bees, hirelings, just like most of the people they serve.