Carnival of Fraud

Greer has made it clear he doesn't want any recruiters on the premises. But he still hears about their exploits from confused clients. "They convinced one woman, who actually couldn't read, to sign up her three little kids in an HMO."

Greer says he's received reports from staffers that recruiters have been trolling under the highway overpasses, signing up AIDS patients. "The cynicism is amazing," he observes.

There's even one food stamp distribution line where recruiters from rival HMOs got into a physical fight over who had the right to sign up recipients on particular days. The combatants eventually wound up agreeing to a schedule.

"That's South Florida for you," Greer says. "The rules are different.