Policy News

College Regent represents internists at White House event on patient rights

From the April 2000 ACP-ASIM Observer, copyright © 2000 by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine.

ACP-ASIM Regent Mary T. Herald, FACP, represented the medical profession and patients at a March 2 White House event where President Clinton urged Congress to enact a strong patients' bill of rights during its current session. Dr. Herald's participation came as a result of an invitation from the White House for the College to provide a speaker who could explain why a strong patient rights law is important to practicing physicians and patients.

The event was held as congressional conferees began to work out differences between a House bill, which was passed in October, and a Senate bill, which was passed in July. Congressional leaders have said they hope to pass a final measure this spring. In addition to the president, the event was also attended by a bipartisan congressional contingent that included Rep. Charles Norwood (R-Ga.) and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), whose patients' bill of rights measure was passed by the House. (The College supports the provisions in their bill.)

During her presentation, Dr. Herald, an endocrinologist who practices in Westfield, N.J., explained that she provides care for patients "who desperately need the protection that a strong, enforceable patients' bill of rights would provide when they are at their most vulnerable." She said that many of her diabetic patients have been blocked from getting the care they need, either because their health plans pay for only two or three consultation visits a year or because primary care physicians are reluctant to make too many patient referrals.

"This creates a barrier to state-of-the-art care and leads to delayed and inadequate treatment [that] exacerbate complications and, of course, increase costs," she said. "Too many people who pass through my hospital and office are forced to battle with their health plans at the same time they are fighting to recover from an illness."

The president, citing Dr. Herald's comments, said he will not sign legislation that "is a patients' bill of rights in name only." Instead, he said that he will pass only a measure that gives patients the right to see a specialist, the right to go to the nearest emergency room, the right to use the services of a single health care provider during a course of treatment, and a strong appeals process for patients.

"Every major national survey shows that well over 70% of all Americans, without regard to their political party, support a strong, enforceable bill of rights," Mr. Clinton said. "The American people support it, and they're entitled to have their elected representatives ratify it."

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