According to a recent article in the Florida Sentinal, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has taken the unprecedented step of terminating the Medicare HMO plans run by America’s Health Choice in Florida due to quality of care issues.  According to the article, termination of the plan was the result of patient complaints about delays in and denials of authorizations of care.  One would expect other Medicare contractors (HMOs and even carriers) to pay close attention to the Florida developments, and physicians and patients who have historically felt powerless when it comes to dealing with payor incompetency, may get some new leverage out of all of this.