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Managed Care Ethics
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
TO THE EDITOR:
In their article “Ethical Practice in Managed Care,” Hall and Berenson [1] suggest that bedside rationing of care is the logical response to cost constraints imposed by managed care. Physicians have always had an ethical responsibility to provide the highest quality of medical care to their patients, and this mandate should continue no matter what type of care environment exists. Managed care and its related payment methods do not fundamentally alter physicians' responsibility to their patients but add the imperative of finding ways to improve the value of care (the best quality for the most appropriate cost).
Managed care is forcing physicians to determine what constitutes health care waste and what adds value. The desired result is to reduce expenditures and maintain or improve the quality of care. Bedside care and advocacy, but not rationing, continue to be our primary responsibility. Managed care has added the obligation and opportunity to find innovative ways to improve the value of health care. If we do our jobs effectively, waste will be reduced and we will never have to deny needed care to patients.
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
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