Court Tosses Suit Over Agency’s Alleged Flaws

SACRAMENTO (CN) - A state appeals court dismissed a consumer advocacy group's claim that the California Department of Managed Health Care illegally refused to give patients copies of their medical reports and mishandled patients' grievances, but the court declined to impose sanctions on the group.

The California Consumer Health Care Council filed an appeal after the trial court found no triable issues of fact and granted summary judgment to the department. The department, in a motion for sanctions, accused the advocacy group of appealing "as a means of hijacking public policy affecting millions of Californians."

"Although we find no merit to Consumer's contentions on appeal," Justice Raye wrote, "we cannot find the appeal filed for an improper purpose or based on totally meritless arguments."

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