The patients who have publicly complained to the Clinton administration or news organizations can waive the confidentiality of their medical records, but often refuse to do so. White House health policy adviser Christopher C. Jennings defended the anecdotal approach. While some heart-rending anecdotes may be exaggerated or distorted, others are all too real, and they play into the frustrations of people who have had their own bad experiences with HMO bureaucracies. Nearly half of those interviewed in national polls say they have personally run into problems with their health plans or know someone who has. These range from routine billing disputes to a failure to approve important medical tests or access to specialists.
Surveys show a widespread belief that cost-conscious health plans have reduced the quality of care.
For the news media, of course, tales of human woe are more compelling than abstract debates about cost and liability. And the insurance industry, which is spending millions of dollars to try to defeat managed-care legislation this year, is quick to claim that the use of emotional anecdotes is unfair. The use of anecdotal evidence to score political points has long been a staple of Washington conflict. The marketing of personal tragedy has become a cottage industry. The AMA wants to hear them right now.