(6/22/2004) - The Associated Press reports that the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said that patients who claim their HMOs wouldn't pay for recommended medical care cannot sue for big malpractice damages.

According to AP, the Court was unanimous in saying that two HMO patients in Texas cannot pursue big malpractice or negligence cases against their insurers in state court, as they claimed a Texas patient protection law allowed them to do.