Mike Levin: “I support the strong, enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights which the Senate is finally going to vote on today. After…”

“I support the strong, enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights which the Senate is finally going to vote on today. After years of consideration, and a hard legislative battle over the last few weeks, the bipartisan vote which this bill is about to receive on final passage reflects the overwhelming support the bill has from the American people. The Patients' Bill of Rights assures that medical decisions will be made by doctors, nurses and hospitals, not by someone in an insurance office somewhere with no personal knowledge of the patient and no professional background to make medical judgments. It guarantees access to needed health care specialists. It requires continuity of care protections so that patients will not have to change doctors in the middle of their treatment. And, the bill provides access to a fair, unbiased and timely internal and independent external appeals process to address denials of needed health care. This legislation will hold HMOs accountable for their decisions like everyone else in the United States. The Patients' Bill of Rights also assures that doctors and patients can openly discuss treatment options and includes an enforcement mechanism that ensures these rights are real. We have taken a big step forward today on comprehensive managed care reform for 190 million Americans.”