HMO lawsuit settled in TX

April 15, 2000

In a message dated 4/14/00 4:53:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

lyme-aidegroups writes:

<< Message: 11

Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 12:36:36 EDT

From: " lou f " <overman74@...>

Subject: HMO lawsuit settled in TX

>>

I am glad to hear that the Govt. is doing something about the abuse of HMO's,

but I wished that they had made them pay some hefty fines. The pocketbook

speaks louder than words, plus those funds might have been able to help

someone that the HMO hurt by it's practices.

I am so fed up with HMO's. My father was scheduled for a new heart surgery on

Monday (17th). He was given permission by his HMO to see a particular

specialist. On Thursday they called him and said that this dr could not

perform the surgery and he even had to go to a different hospital to have it

done. So, now he has to go to a whole new dr that he doesn't know, get his ok

for the surgery and then be operated on by this stranger ( we don't even know

if this new dr is proviciant at this new type of heart surgery). I am so

pissed right now, there is steam coming out of me !!! I worry so much that

the stress my father has had to endur because of his HMO will cause him to

have another major heart attack......if this happens this HMO better watch

out because I will come after them with a vengence. Sorry to go on, but I am

so fed up with the medical proffession and HMO's and I just needed to vent to

my friends. Please keep my father in your prayers.

Thank you for listening to me.

Your Lyme Friend,

in VA

April 16, 2000

Hi ,

I am so sorry to hear that your dad is getting the run-around with his

HMO. Did the HMO clarify why the original surgeon could not perform the

heart surgery? Was he dropped from their rolls or something? This is

outrageous. My Dad has Medicare and another policy to cover his medical

costs, (not HMO). When he had to have emergency surgery to remove a blood

clot that had hung up between the two chambers of the heart, each of us kids

(3) took a video tape of his heart showing the clot and interviewed doctors

in our area. We ended up finding a wonderful doctor at a prominent

Philadelphia hospital who performed the surgery successfully. We were being

told by the local hospital that his chances of surviving the surgery were

mighty slim, so it paid for us to shop around. It makes me so angry that

people with HMO's (me, too) do not have this privilege. My prayers for your

Dad, and his new surgeon, I sure hope this all works out for all of you. I

agree with you, that the HMO lawsuit in TX was good, but sanctions should

have been charged.

Hugs,

Marta

From: BBHMM@... <BBHMM@...>

>

>I am glad to hear that the Govt. is doing something about the abuse of

HMO's,

>but I wished that they had made them pay some hefty fines. The pocketbook

>speaks louder than words, plus those funds might have been able to help

>someone that the HMO hurt by it's practices.

>I am so fed up with HMO's. My father was scheduled for a new heart surgery

on

>Monday (17th). He was given permission by his HMO to see a particular

>specialist. On Thursday they called him and said that this dr could not

>perform the surgery and he even had to go to a different hospital to have

it

>done. So, now he has to go to a whole new dr that he doesn't know, get his

ok

>for the surgery and then be operated on by this stranger ( we don't even

know

>if this new dr is proviciant at this new type of heart surgery). I am so

>pissed right now, there is steam coming out of me !!! I worry so much that

>the stress my father has had to endur because of his HMO will cause him to

>have another major heart attack......if this happens this HMO better watch

>out because I will come after them with a vengence. Sorry to go on, but I

am

>so fed up with the medical proffession and HMO's and I just needed to vent

to

>my friends. Please keep my father in your prayers.

>

>Thank you for listening to me.

>Your Lyme Friend,

> in VA

>

April 16, 2000