US doctors win round in battle for right to negotiate with HMOs

The United States House of Representatives last month passed the Quality Health Care Coalition Act by a vote of 276 to 136. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Republican Tom Campbell of California and Democrat John Conyers of Michigan, was strongly supported by the American Medical Association. The bill gives doctors, as individual contractors, exemption from the antitrust laws when they negotiate with health maintenance organisations (HMOs) and insurers over fees and contracts. Under existing law, doctors who are employees of …