State 1-21

California state medical authorities enacted new regulations requiring HMOs, which provide health care to 21 million state residents, to see patients in urgent need within 48 hours of their request and for routine checkups within 10 business days. A recent study cited in the Los Angeles Times concluded that the average Angeleno waits 50 days between requesting an appointment and actually being seen. The California Legislature passed a law to address this issue in 2002. The regulation goes into effect in 2011.