Any willing provider

DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton joins leaders of the Minnesota Physician Patient Alliance in support of their "Any Willing Provider" legislation, introduced last spring in the Minnesota Legislature. This bill would allow Minnesotans to be seen by any physician, health-care provider, clinic, hospital, or treatment center that is willing to accept the reimbursement and regulatory guidelines of the managed-care plan.

Dayton says, "This legislation would correct one of the worst problems with managed health care. People are prevented from seeing their own family doctors, appropriate specialists, and physicians closest to their homes. HMOs promised to control health-care costs by managing more efficiently, not by denying their member access to doctors and good medical care. The Alliance is doing what the Minnesota Department of Health should be doing. It is standing up for patients' rights and for quality medical care. I share their goals."