Colorado Medical Society

WHEREAS, there have been an increasing number of interventions by third parties such as insurance companies and pharmaceutical benefit managers which, in the name of improved patient care, request certain actions by physicians, especially primary care physicians on behalf of patients they are treating, and

WHEREAS, these actions, though inexpensive for third party computer systems to suggest, require significant time, effort and expense by physicians and their administrative personnel, and

WHEREAS, many of these interventions have not been thoroughly studied in terms of their effectiveness and cost effectiveness when all costs have been accounted for, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Colorado Medical Society establish it as their policy that physicians should not be asked to effect clinical interventions on behalf of their patients as requested by third parties unless such interventions are evidence-proven to be effective and cost effective, and unless those third parties provide appropriate compensation for the effort involved, and be it further

RESOLVED, that third parties should be encouraged to make contacts of this nature directly with patients, instructing them about the nature of the concern and advising them to contact their physician’s offices for appropriate appointments to deal with these issues, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Colorado Medical Society seek appropriate legislation and/or regulation prohibiting the imposition of such requests upon physicians without appropriate compensation and unless it is established that each such intervention or part thereof is effective and cost-effective patient care which is evidence based upon high quality studies, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Colorado Delegation to the American Medical Association be instructed to seek similar measures at the national level.

FISCAL IMPACT: None