Managed care companies and the practice of medicine

One of the major issues pertaining to the pending legislation for Patients' Bill of Rights is the potential of liability health care plans, particular ly when they decline coverage they consider not medically necessary. We cal l these contracts "managed health care" plans. But, realistically, when is it managing? When is it medicine? When, if at all, does management undermin e medicine? And if it does, should managed care organizations - and their r epresentatives - be held legally liable for medical decisions that go wrong ? A panel of seven experts examines these questions from medical, payment, patient, legal, insurance, and governing viewpoints.