Opposition to HMO reform heightened

Business groups are stepping up their campaign against the patients’ bill of rights approved by the US House. The Norwood-Dingell Bill is stalled in the Senate. Jim Stutz is with the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition. He claims the Norwood-Dingell Bill would give consumers the right to not only sue health insurance companies, but the employer who provides the health benefit. He calls it bad public policy. Stutz believes the bill creates the possibility that employers would drop health benefits rather than open themselves up to lawsuits. Stutz favors a Senate bill that takes disputes through a review process before they can become legal actions.