Thumbs Up on Physician Class

Massive HMO suit gets thumbs up | AMN | 9.20.04

In what is being seen as a huge victory for physicians, a federal appeals court upheld class-action status for a lawsuit alleging that several major health insurers had systematically underpaid them.

The decision by a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta is a turning point in the case, legal experts said. Without such status, the 900,000 active and retired physicians represented would have had to pursue their claims individually.

“Five years ago when we first filed, the ripple of laughter was fairly loud,” he said. “…The vindication that is evident in this ruling is something that all the medical society leaders and doctors ought to be extremely proud of.” …

Class has grown from 600,000 to 900,000—average per class member potential payment drops to just over one thousand dollars.