Time for a Patient's Bill of Rights

Over the past few decades, there has been an intense struggle in Washington between the lobbyists for the insurance industry and the interests of the American people over what has been called a Patients Bill of Rights a set of rules to protect Americans from some of the worst practices of the health insurance industry; rules to ensure that all Americans are getting the care they need from their doctors and the care they deserve from their insurance companies.

The last time a Patients Bill of Rights was within reach was roughly a decade ago, and it was supported by Democrats and Republicans alike, from Ted Kennedy to John McCain. It included the right to an appeals process so you could challenge an unfair decision by an insurance company before a third party. It included the right to choose your own doctor. It included the right to access information about what your health insurance plan means for you. And it called for a new level of transparency so that patients would know if their doctors had a conflict of interest when providing services.

Now, this Patients Bill of Rights never made it into law. It fell victim again and again to the same special interest lobbying that has blocked passage of health insurance reform for so many decades. But today, we are being given another chance to make it a reality, because each of these rights, and many more, are incorporated in the health insurance reform bill that recently passed the House of Representatives and in the bill that is currently making its way through the Senate.

Both the House and Senate bills would make it against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition or illness. Both would stop insurers from charging exorbitant premiums on the basis of age, health, or gender. Both would prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage when you get sick. And both would put a limit on how much you have to pay out of pocket for the treatments you need in a year or lifetime.

Simply put, the ... Distributed by Tubemogul.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Obama
• health
• care
• doctor
• insurance
• congress
• patient
• rights

[Mahoivlich]

You have the right to buy this insurance or go to jail.

[oehrlein49]

You can see him read the teleprompter when they switch to the close-up :p.

Not that it's wrong to use one. I would. Just fun to watch his eyes.

[groovewire]

He's not for you he's for himself! He is guided by his bank account only. Man, the US is going down the tubes.... Someday it will turn araounf I think.....

[allawayjared]

Where's the Public Option? Medicare part "E" for Everybody.

[trckstr261]

So your raising taxes to pay for this immedietely and insurance doesnt start for 4 more years. Great way to keep it under a trillion dollars. There will be a tax revolt in 2010. Terror 2010. IMPEACH

[trckstr261]

IMPEACH THIS MAN. He has done nothing. Still adding more troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  He is going to Force every American to get health insurance. There will be 15million uninsured.

[trckstr261]

@killerbandit Let's see, How about in the bill it says forcefull vaccinations. He's paying and bribing democratic senetors like $100 million to agree to the bill. He is going to force americans to do something they don't want. With fines and prison if they don;t do it. In Obama's campaign he said he is against forceful insurance. What a joke. Impeach this man

[CentrlFlagrl]

Yep, now that the Dems. finally bribed their party members to get 60 vote they will unfortunately pass this bill. All the talk about insurance companies, industry & the Repubs. yet you couldn't even get your OWN party aboard w/out bribery. Making history, legislation at it's finest, the best & brightest minds. God help us all!

IMO, with the country on the brink of total collapse, this health insurance reform is about enough to push us over the edge.

[killerbandit]

@trckstr261

Cite what aspect of the constitution he is destroying. I could give you a laundry list on the last presidents transgressions against the constitution.

[Moshm4n]

How about time for THE bill of rights and the constitution? How about that, you two-faced phony.