Press Release July 9, 1998	Contact: Adrienne Mitchem Kathleen McShea 202/462-6262 Consumers Union's Washington, DC Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONSUMERS UNION TO SENATE: STOP STALLING

Patients’ Bill of Rights Demands Action

WASHINGTON – Following is a statement from Adrienne Mitchem, Legislative Counsel for Consumers Union, Publisher of Consumer Reports on the status of managed care reform in the US Congress:

“With less than 35 legislative days left before the 105th Congress adjourns, the Senate GOP leadership needs to stop stone-walling and allow the Senate to vote on the Patients’ Bill of Rights Act. Americans from across the country have made it clear that they want to see Congress pass meaningful managed care consumer protection legislation. Consumers sense profits are being valued over the quality of patient care and too often –they are right. It is time to assure patients

· get information about all their treatment options, not just the cheapest;

· can hold health plans accountable for life and death decisions;

· have a neutral appeals process if care is denied; and

· have minimum standards for all managed care plans.

“How can members of Congress justify denying to the rest of America many of the same patient rights they now enjoy as federal employees who are covered by the executive order President Clinton signed this spring? The Patients’ Bill of Rights Act is just the type of reform that Americans are anxiously awaiting. More than 170 national consumer, labor, senior, provider and religious organization support its passage. The public recognizes that the Patients’ Bill of Rights is a genuine effort to reform the current state of managed care.

“Americans will not be fooled by the fig-leaf proposal from Speaker Gingrich and others. Sadly, congressional Republicans have a credibility gap when it comes to health care reform that is hard to shake. For example, while the Gingrich proposal provides mechanisms for a neutral outside appeals process apparently lawmakers are also considering forcing patients to ante up a percent of the cost of denied care as a condition of getting a review! Lawmakers should be forewarned that attempts to squelch real reform either through stalling or promoting inadequate managed care consumer protections will only backfire.

“Americans have already made it clear that they want doctors, not accountants, calling the shots when they get sick.”

NOTE: For a copy of a news article detailing CU’s criticisms of a plan to force payments from consumers who want to appeal decisions see “A Managed Care Plan with Little Appeal,” Congressional Quarterly,(p. 1817, July 4, 1998). This is also available on our faxback server by dialing 202/238-9258 and asking for document number 3404.