About this site

HARP is a resource for patients, doctors, and attorneys seeking to establish the liability of HMOs, Managed Health Care Organizations, and Nursing Facilities for the consequences of their decisions.

We are concerned that in the headlong rush to "Efficient" Medical care, the organizations involved are losing sight of the "Quality" of the care they provide.

As more and more "Incentives" to cut back on medical care are put in place by the new class of medical entrepreneurs, the patient often suffers. We feel that Counter-incentives must be applied, and they must be financial. The only such Counter-incentives available under our system are lawsuits for damages caused by excessive cost-cutting measures.

However, many obstacles protect corporate providers from being held responsible for their acts. ERISA drastically limits the remedies available to injured workers, as well as preempting State regulations designed to control the more egregious problems. Rigged Mandatory Arbitration gives injured patients the illusion of justice. Strict application of state Tort laws holds doctors responsible for actions forced on them by Managed Care Organizations, which themselves escape liability.

In an attempt to alleviate some of the obstacles to just resolution of patient suits, we have developed a Political Agenda which we will attempt to see enacted.

We have collected here some aids for the plaintiff and his attorney attempting to surmount these barriers. We have links to pertinent sections of the Federal and California Codes, relevant Cases, other helpful sites, and musings on theories of liability.

We also support a listserver where questions and ideas can be posted and discussed. But first you must Join as described Here.

You will find many gaps here, and perhaps even some errors. Your ideas, suggestions, comments, criticisms, and assistance are earnestly solicited!

Obviously if you have a specific legal problem, you should consult a lawyer knowledgable in the field. These pages are educational. They are not designed as, and should not be used as a substitute for, expert legal advice.

We plan to set up a Legal Aid Society for patients injured by their HMO. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the War Chest, either now or in your will, you will need to know that our Tax ID number is 23-7406164, and our address is:

HARP
552 12th St.
Santa Monica, CA
90402-2908

Thank you! If you would like a confirmation letter, please ask us when you send your contribution.

Note: There is another healthcare site with "HARP" in its name, entirely unrelated to this one.
If you were searching for "Healthcare Accounts-Receivable Processing", you can find it at www.quadax.com/harp

• Theories of Organization Liability
• Structural Obstacles to a Trial on the Merits
• Sources of the Law
• Fighting a denial
• Consumer Resources
• Physician Deselection
• Recent and Pending Legislation
• Relevant articles from elsewhere
• Other Relevant Web Sites
• HARP's Political Agenda
• The Dialog Listserver

• Click Here To Join the Dialog Listserver.
  
• Click Here To Quit the Dialog Listserver.
  
• To get the Digest, go to your control panel once you've subscribed