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(Salt Lake City-AP) -- A union is urging its 60-thousand members in Utah to boycott Intermountain Health Care hospitals, clinics and doctors.
The A-F-L--C-I-O says it has had NO luck in persuading the state's largest health care provider to change a new medical malpractice policy.
I-H-C last month told its 170-thousand patients in Bountiful and Salt Lake County that they would have to sign arbitration agreements. Those greatly diminish a patient's right to sue doctors.
If residents didn't sign those agreements, I-H-C says they won't get treatment.
A union spokesman says the A-F-L--C-I-O doesn't disagree with arbitration in general.
However, Steve Booth says they find fault with the mandatory nature of I-H-C's proposal.
The Utah Medical Association calls the union's strategy "a smoke screen."
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
