| ■ California Sets Doctor Appointment Wait Limits | 2010.01.22 |
| Time limits for doctors to see patients will take effect in California in January 2011, making it the first state to introduce this type of legislation. The rules "set reasonable expectations about when care should be provided," said Cindy Ehnes, director of the state's Department of Managed Health Care, the Associated Press reported. Family doctors in health maintenance organizations will be required to see patients seeking an appointment within 10 business days, while the deadline for specialists will be 15 days. Patients seeking urgent care that doesn't require prior authorization must be seen by a doctor within 48 hours. If they determine there's no threat to a patient's health, doctors can extend the waiting period. "These regulations ... will not only get people access to care when they need it but will reduce unnecessary use of the emergency room," Anthony Wright, executive director of the consumer group Health Access California, told the Los Angeles Times, the AP reported. |