California is set to become the first state in the nation to require that patients covered by managed-care plans be seen by their doctors within a specific time frame, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The California Department of Managed Health Care, which regulates the state's health maintenance organization plans, released rules spelling out how quickly patients must be seen. As part of the rules, people covered by HMOs should get a primary-care appointment within 10 business days and an appointment with a specialist within 15 days.
