Bob Wise: “the 73 percent of Americans presently covered by managed care plans in this country know it is time for a Patients' Bill…”

“the 73 percent of Americans presently covered by managed care plans in this country know it is time for a Patients' Bill of Rights. The over 200,000 West Virginians covered alone under HMOs, health maintenance organizations, know it is time for a patient protection act. It is important to outlaw the gag rules. It is important to permit quick appeals, to permit seeing specialists, but it is also important to do something else, and that is to bring enforceability and accountability. Right now the insurance companies who make the basic decisions are not being held accountable. A doctor, say, may order a CAT scan thinking it is necessary for the patient. The insurance company overrides that decision. The illness goes undiagnosed. Who is held responsible? The doctor who knew that the CAT scan was necessary can be held responsible, but not the insurance company. That is why this has to change. Those who profit from making health care decisions, the insurance companies, the managed care plans, those who profit from making these basic health care decisions must also be held accountable for their patient care decisions. That is why we support the Dingell-Ganske Bill of Rights.”