Patients' Bill of Rights Passes

 

The Norwood-Dingell Bipartisan Managed Consensus Care Improvement Act, better known as the Norwood-Dingell bill or the Patients' Bill of Rights, passed the House despite opposition from Speaker Hastert. ADA strongly pushed the bill, and wrote to our members of Congress asking them to support it. Nationally, all but two Democrats supported the bill, and twenty-one Republicans backed it as well.

 

Some important features of the Act are:

* It covers all Americans with private insurance

* It ensures that patients have meaningful access to emergency care

* It provides stronger continuity of care by doctors and clear protection of providers who advocate for patients

* It ensures an independent and timely appeals process

* It allows patients whose rights are violated by insurance companies to sue their health plans, but does not allow punitive damages if the company followed the external review process.

 

The bill does not cover many of the concerns of ADA, such as the provision of health care to all Americans. However, it is a positive step forward in elevating the rights of individuals requiring medical attention over the rights of the companies providing them insurance. We are proud to call the Patients' Bill of Rights a victory for human rights.