In the second of our four-part series on managed health care, NPR's Patricia Neighmond takes a look at how a group of doctors in Southern California has banded together to take back control over medical decision-making from insurance companies. The doctors' new group practice grew out of frustration with a payment system that was permitting HMOs and other insurance companies to make decisions about when and how a patient would receive medical care. Analysts say the group is a model for other doctors who want to practice cost-efficient medicine and provide patients with top-quality care.
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