Obama Administration Abandons "Mystery Shopper" Plan.
The New York Times (6/29, A15, Pear, Subscription Publication) reports, "The Obama administration said Tuesday that it had shelved plans for a survey in which 'mystery shoppers' posing as patients would call doctors' offices to see how difficult it was to get appointments." In a statement, HHS said, "We have determined that now is not the time to move forward with this research project." This decision comes on the heels of "criticism from doctors and politicians," and it "represents an abrupt turnabout," because just a few days ago, "officials at the health department and the White House staunchly defended the survey as a way to measure access to primary care, and insisted that it posed no threat to privacy." Nevertheless, HHS spokesman Christian J. Stenrud said, "Politics did not play a role in the decision."
