Insurance companies influencing patient treatment

A Toledo Blade investigation by Steve Eder and Julie M. McKinnon shows doctors nationwide fear that increasingly stringent insurance rules and frequent second-guessing of doctors’ orders are eroding the doctor-patient relationship — and harming patients. The Blade’s four-part, eight-month investigation included interviews with about 100 physicians in a dozen states and a national online survey of doctors with more than 900 responses. More than 99 percent of respondents reported that insurers had interfered with their treatment decisions.