Covering Managed Care
A resource guide for reporters and editors

back to Covering Magaged Care Index.

ADVOCACY AND CONSUMER ORGANIZATIONS

These organizations, representing a wide range of interests, offer a consumer perspective on managed care.

Center on Disability and Health 1522 K St. N.W. Washington, D. C. 20005, (202) 842-4408, fax (202) 842-2402, executive director Bob Griss. Group makes sure managed care organizations are following the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Center for Health Care Rights

520 South Lafayette Park Place, Los Angeles, Calif. 90057, (213) 383-4519, fax (213)-383-4598, ext. 3012, Web site: www.evidence.com/CHCR/Index.html. Joseph Cislowski executive director; consumer protection director Peter Lee. Group has been involved with the Health Rights Hotline, an independent assistance program that has documented problems people are having with managed care in the Sacramento area.

Consumer Coalition for Quality Health Care

1275 K St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 789-3606, fax (202) 898-2389, Web site: www.consumers.org. Senior associate for quality policy Andy Weber, executive director Brian Lindberg. Organization supports the monitoring of quality in managed care.

Consumers Union

101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. 10703, (914)-378-2000, fax (914) 378-2900, Web site for subscribers only: www.consumerreports.org. Communications director Marc Kaplan; president Rhoda Karpatkin. Washington communications director Kathleen McShea (202) 462-6262. Publishers of Consumer Reports, organization lobbies on behalf of consumers; supports managed care legislation that includes the right to sue health plans and a way for consumers to appeal decisions about their care to an independent third party.

Families USA

1334 G St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 628-3030, fax (202) 347-2417, Web site: www.familiesUSA.org. Communications director Lorie Slass, (202) 628-3030; executive director Ronald Pollack. Bills itself as the voice for health-care consumers and supports a far-reaching patients' bill of rights. Web site has studies on managed care.

Gay Men's Health Crisis

119 West 24th St., New York, N.Y. 10011, (212) 362-1000, fax (212) 367-1235. Director of health care access and public policy Susan Dooha (202) 367-1228. Tracks problems members have had getting care in health plans.

People's Medical Society

462 Walnut St., Allentown, Pa. 18102, (610) 770-1670, fax (610) 770-0607, Web site: www.peoplesmed.org. Communications director Mike Donio; president Charles Inlander. Watchdog organization that also offers health care information through a variety of publications. Believes managed care is a sound concept but that most managed care companies are deficient.

Public Citizen Health Research Group

1600 20th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, (202) 588-1000, fax (202) 588-7796, Web site: www.citizen.org. Communications director Brian Dooley; director Sidney Wolfe. Believes for-profit managed care must be replaced by not-for-profit plans run by patients. Materials for reporters are listed on its Web site.