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Conflict of interest or expertise?

April 10, 1997
By: Elizabeth J. Zack
State Capital Bureau A bill that will regulate managed care in the state of Missouri raises more issues than just medical ones.

For one St. Louis legislator it raises questions of motive. When is personal interest conflict, and when is it expertise?

Liz Zack has the story from Jefferson City.

Story:
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Like many other legislators, St Louis representative Ron Auer has another job.

He's a marketing rep. for an HMO.

Proposed managed care legislation that recently passed the house seeks to regulate HMO's and that could be bad for Ron Auer's job in managed care.

Actuality:
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Contents: [53K WAV file - Representative ROn Auer was one of the leading opponants of the managed care bill. ]

Some say that Auer's opposition to the bill, is a direct result of his personal interest in managed care.

Auer is well aware that people may see his other job as conflicting with his participation in this issue.

But he doesn't think that it does.

Actuality:
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Contents: [104K WAV file - Auer feels that his relationship with manged care lends him expertise, not a conflict of interest. ]

This situation isn't so different from others that have come before the legislature.

On issues that deal with law, the legislators who are attorneys are vocal participants in the debate and vote.

On issues that concern finance, the legislators who are bankers are regularly involved.

Representative Tim Harlan, the managed care bill sponsor, says he doesn't think personal involvement is always bad.

Actuality:
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Contents: [60K WAV file - Bill sponsor Tim Harlan says that to elimianate everyone with extraneous interest to issues, would be to elimaite expertise. ]

Harlan sees it as a personal judgment for each legislator and ultimately for each member of the public to decide.

Actuality:
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Contents: [113K WAV file - Ultimately, Harlan says that its up to each individual legislator and their constituants to decide conflict of interest. ]

The managed care bill is now in the senate.

From the state capitol, I'm Liz Zack.