Heeding patients' mounting frustration, HMOs move to cut referral red tape.

Relates that health-maintenance organizations are addressing the problem of convoluted patient-referral procedures. How the procedures are a common source of patients' complaints; How Monarch Health System changed its procedures; PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. reviewing its protocol; How United HealthCare Corp.'s Open Access plan, which doesn't require specialist referrals, is the fastest-growing program in the company.