A Patient’s Bill of Rights

In 1998 many health plans have adopted these basic patient principles :

  • Information Disclosure. You have the right to accurate and easily understood information about your health plan, health care professionals, and health care facilities. If you speak another language, have a physical or mental disability, or just don’t understand something, assistance will be provided so you can make informed health care decisions.
  • Choice of Providers and Plans. You have the right to a choice of health care providers that is sufficient to provide you with access to appropriate high-quality health care.
  • Access to Emergency Services. If you have severe pain, an injury, or sudden illness that convinces you that your health is in serious jeopardy, you have the right to receive screening and stabilization emergency services whenever and wherever needed, without prior authorization or financial penalty.
  • Participation in Treatment Decisions. You have the right to know your treatment options and to participate in decisions about your care. Parents, guardians, family members, or other individuals that you designate can represent you if you cannot make your own decisions.
  • Respect and Nondiscrimination. You have a right to considerate, respectful and nondiscriminatory care from your doctors, health plan representatives, and other health care providers.
  • Confidentiality of Health Information. You have the right to talk in confidence with health care providers and to have your health care information protected. You also have the right to review and copy your own medical record and request that your physician change your record if it is not accurate, relevant, or complete.
  • Complaints and Appeals. You have the right to a fair, fast, and objective review of any complaint you have against your health plan, doctors, hospitals or other health care personnel. This includes complaints about waiting times, operating hours, the conduct of health care personnel, and the adequacy of health care facilities.

Useful Links :

  • Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry

Internet Address: www.consumer.gov/qualityhealth/rights.htm_
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ipg.asp?sitename=Patient’s+Rights+and+Responsibilities
http://www.consumer.gov/qualityhealth/rights.htm)

  • American Hospital Association (AHA)
  • The Patient Care Partnership: Understanding Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities

www.aha.org/aha/ptcommunication/partnership/index.html

Your Bill of Rights

  • Sample NYS Bill of Rights for Patients
  • Your Bill of Rights PDF Format

Sample Bill of Rights for Epilepsy Patients
To receive a free copy of the Bill of Rights for People Living with Epilepsy and other information about epilepsy, people can call 1-877-6ERIGHTS or http://www.epilepsybillofrights.com.

The Epilepsy Bill was sponsored by Novartis (http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/index.jsp)

A Life in Motion Bill of Rights for People with Movement Disorders was to be under development and expected to be released in late 2007, visit www.life-in-motion.org for more information since as a coalition member we have not heard of any recent updates about the LIM Program.

Are You Aware of Your HIPAA Rights?

How to Obtain your Medical Records :

Many people consider information about their health to be highly sensitive, deserving of the strongest protection under the law. Long-standing laws in many states and the age-old tradition of doctor-patient privilege have been the mainstay of privacy protection for decades.

Now, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets a national standard for privacy of health information, effective April 14, 2003. But HIPAA only applies to medical records maintained by health care providers, health plans, and health clearinghouses - and only if the facility maintains and transmits records in electronic form. A great deal of health-related information exists outside of health care facilities and the files of health plans, and thus beyond the reach of HIPAA. (PRC Fact Sheet 8a, “HIPAA Basics,” www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs8a-hipaa.htm)

Links to more information :

  1. www.healthcarereform.gov
  2. www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health-care
  3. www.hhs.gov/recovery/overview/index.html
  4. www.healthcarereform.nejm.org/

Copyright.c4d. 2007-10. Site Updated 8 Nov 2009.