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The Ethics of Managed Care 
 
It is unfortunate that there are no Hippocratic oaths nor principles of conduct governing managed care in the United States.  It is also unfortunate that the disenfranchised patient has no real legal recourse because of the ERISA. legislation which exempts managed care from responsibility for malevolent behavior.
At first managed care had "easy pickings" in dictating medical treatment for patients and was able to glean sometimes obscene profits from squeezing the portly American health care system.  Beyond this phase continued high profitability is simply "sucking" money away from patients and into shareholder's pockets.  

Few businesses suffer from consumer outrage at being continually pilloried than managed care.  A unique opportunity to view the inner thoughts and progress of a major health insurer, Aetna, Inc. is offered starting with the following commentary provided by Richard L. Huber  their CEO in 1999:


"Managed-care companies simply carry out the wishes of their customers, the employers.  We're an administrator, if medical mistakes are made it's the doctor's fault, not Aetna's"
                                         Richard L. Huber, CEO, Aetna Inc.    


(Gentry C: Aetna Chief Rallies Others To Fight Suits Over HMOs, Wall Street Journal, October 6, 1999). 

 Click here for continuing commentary on this intriguing subject.