Mr Gore's lawyers filed an emergency appeal to reverse the board's decision (which seemed to make a mockery of the ruling by their state's Supreme Court).

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And, if an HMO disallows a doctor's treatment recommendation because of cost concerns, patients will be able to appeal that decision to an independent review board in the hopes of getting it reversed, or of receiving compensation for any damage they may have suffered as a result of the HMO ruling.

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India's patent appeal board in March rejected Bayer's attempts to get the decision overturned.

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