Dianne Feinstein: “Today Senator D'Amato, Senator Ford and I are introducing a bill to require health insurance plans to cover the length…”

“Today Senator D'Amato, Senator Ford and I are introducing a bill to require health insurance plans to cover the length of hospital stay for any procedure or illness as determined by the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, to be medically appropriate. This bill will return medical decision-making to medical professionals because it is time to stop insurance plans' interference into this important area of physician decision-making. It is endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Psychological Association. Only a physician, taking care of the patient who understands the patient's history, medical condition and needs, can make a decision on how much hospital care a person needs. Physicians are trained to evaluate all the unique needs and problems of each individual patient. Every patient is different and the course of illness has great variation. Lengths of stay should not be determined by insurance company clerks, actuaries or non-medical personnel. It is the attending physician, not a physician or other representative of an insurance company, that should decide when to admit and discharge someone.”