Clinton Bans HMO Gags On Medicare Patients

US President Bill Clinton has prohibited health maintenanceorganizations from limiting what doctors tell Medicaid patients about potential treatments. Also, to protect 130 million people enrolled in managed care through the private sector, he urged Congress to pass, without delay, a bipartisan bill banning plans from imposing gag clauses, saying he would sign this promptly.

The American Association of Health Plans says the bill goes beyond open patient/doctor discussions on treatment options and, as it stands, would have adverse consequences; it could keep HMOs from giving doctors the latest research on better ways to practice. HMOs say the only limits on communications are those that stop doctors from speaking badly of plans with which they are associated.

About 5 million Medicare beneficiaries (12% of the total) and 12 million Medic-aid recipients (over a third) are enrolled in HMOs or other managed care plans, says the Wall Street Journal. In December, the administration banned gag clauses in plans treating Medicare patients (Marketletter December 16, 1996).