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Imaging Center Owners, Dr. Paul A. Meunier and Dr. Gerald L. Warnock, Win OMA Support for House Bill 3456, a Fairness in Medicine Initiative, at this Weekend's OMA House of Delegates Meeting
May 3, 2005. Portland, OR. This weekend the OMA approved "without reservation" a resolution introduced by Dr. Paul A. Meunier and Dr. Gerald L. Warnock at the OMA House of Delegates meeting to support legislation aimed at preventing the exclusion of qualified medical providers from the preferred provider panels of health insurance organizations. House Bill 3456, being dubbed the "Fairness in Medicine" bill, would prohibit a health insurer offering a preferred provider network from denying physicians, medical labs and other providers the right to participate in those panels as long as they are willing to meet the terms and conditions of the insurer.
"I began the process of drafting this legislation well over a year ago and was later joined by Dr. Warnock," said Dr. Meunier, Medical Director of Body Imaging Radiology. "As our resolution states: American physicians have historically freely and openly competed with one another to provide medical care." Drs. Meunier and Warnock feel this healthy competition is a key ingredient to controlling escalating costs in healthcare as well as being one of the main drivers of innovation in the medical community.
The alarming trend of large healthcare systems to exclude providers who they view as competitors has come under fire as blatant economic credentialing. The resolution adopted by the OMA states, "this form of 'economic credentialing' is unethical, predatory, unfair and immoral on its face and should be illegal as a matter of public policy."
Similar legislation has been adopted in states throughout the country to varying degrees. Generally referred to as "Any Willing Provider" legislation, it is now the law in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wyoming. Fifteen other states have limited legislation pertaining to pharmacies only.
One reason for the popularity of "Any Willing Provider" or "Fairness in Medicine" bills is that they protect not only patient choice and vibrant competition but also help younger physicians enter the market. "It is very difficult for a physician just starting out to get on these panels," explains Dr. Meunier. "That's simply not in the best interest of the future of medicine in our state."
So will the bill drive up cost? "It should have the opposite effect," says Dr. Warnock. "What most people don't realize is that providers have very little say in reimbursement rates for our services. These are set by the insurance companies and we agree to accept those rates when we participate in their plans."
Drs. Warnock and Meunier acknowledge that the strong insurance company lobby in Oregon will no doubt be aggressive in its attempt to block House Bill 3456 from consideration in this legislative session but are confident that the OMA's strong support will be the impetus necessary to begin a meaningful dialogue on how healthcare is managed and delivered in our state.
(Resolution No. 7 Attached as PDF)
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