Ethical Dilemma. Vera is an 85-year-old widow and retiree from a large corporation. Her former employer recently changed the health care coverage for retirees to an HMO. Vera is having difficulty with her knees and has requested a referral to an orthopedist.
After ordering x-rays, her primary care physician informs her that her knees are not serious enough to warrant knee replacement and he gives her a prescription to alleviate the pain. Several weeks later Vera reads an article that doctors in her HMO are rewarded for keeping utilization costs down.
a. Discuss the ethics of HMOs rewarding physicians for keeping utilization costs down.
b. Does Vera have any options?