Free Choice
Free choice of physicians is the right of every individual. The individual
may select and change at will the physicians who serve them, or they may
choose a medical care plan such as that provided by a closed panel or
group practice, or they may choose to obtain medical care by becoming a
subscriber of a health maintenance or service organization. The freedom of
the individual to select their preferred system of medical care and free
competition among physicians and alternative systems of medical care are
prerequisites of ethical practice and optimal medical care.
Although the concept of free choice assures that an individual can
generally choose a physician, likewise a physician may decline to accept
that individual as a patient. (JC 9.06-87; EC 2/95) (Reaffirmed A-23)
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Abbreviations for House of Delegates report origination:
EC – Executive Committee; BT – Board of Trustees; CPA – Council on
Professional Affairs; JC – Judicial Council; CHS – Community and Health
Services