The Patient's Health Care Bill of Rights

Do you know what to expect from a Health Care Provider or a Health Care Facility?

Do you know your rights as a patient?

In 1997 the US Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry set up a set of principles that have been adopted by many health care facilities and organizations.

The basics include:

• Respect and Nondiscrimination. You have a right to considerate, respectful and nondiscriminatory care from all health care providers, including your doctors, hospital or medical facility staff or health insurance representatives.

• Information Disclosure. You have the right to know by name all health care providers and to accurate and easily understood information about your health care providers, health care professionals, and health care facilities and health plans. If you speak another language, have a physical or mental disability, or just don’t understand something, assistance must be provided to allow you to make informed health care decisions.

• Choice of Providers and Plans. You have the right to a choice of health care providers that is sufficient to provide you with access to appropriate high-quality health care. This means you can change doctors or hospitals or health care agencies. You can also change health plans or insurance.

• Access to Emergency Services. If you have severe pain, an injury, or sudden illness that convinces you that your health is in serious jeopardy, you have the right to receive screening and stabilization emergency services whenever and wherever needed, without prior authorization or financial penalty.

• Participation in Treatment Decisions. You have the right to receive from your physician your diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options and any information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure or treatment. You have the right to be informed of any alternative or experimental protocols. You have the right to refuse to refuse treatment or to refuse participation in research programs, and you have the right to be informed of the medical consequences of these actions including possible dismissal from a study and discharge from a health care facility or physician’s care. Parents, guardians, family members, or other individuals that you designate can represent you if you cannot make your own decisions.

• Confidentiality of Health Information. You have the right to talk in confidence with health care providers and to have your health care information protected. You also have the right to review and copy your own medical record and request that your physician change your record if it is not accurate, relevant, or complete. You have a right to access your medical records and this information must be kept confidential unless disclosure is authorized by you. This is the basis of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA).

• Complaints and Appeals. You have the right to a timely and objective review of any complaint you have against a hospital or health care agency, health care insurer, doctors or other health care personnel. Your individual appeal is usually evaluated by a physician or peer group of health care reviewers that are not affiliated with those involved.
  

Additional information can be found:

President’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health CareIndustry

http://www.hcqualitycommission.gov/

But as per any right there are also responsibilities. These are the responsibilities suggested by the president’s commission. :

• Take responsibility for maximizing healthy habits, such as exercising, not smoking, and eating a healthy diet.
• Become involved in specific health care decisions.
• Work collaboratively with health care providers in developing and carrying out agreed-upon treatment plans.
• Disclose relevant information and clearly communicate wants and needs.
  Use the health plan's internal complaint and appeal processes to address concerns that may arise.
• Avoid knowingly spreading disease.
• Recognize the reality of risks and limits of the science of medical care and the human fallibility of the health care professional.
• Be aware of a health care provider's obligation to be reasonably efficient and equitable in providing care to other patients and the community.
• Become knowledgeable about his or her health plan coverage and health plan options (when available) including all covered benefits, limitations, and exclusions, rules regarding use of network providers, coverage and referral rules, appropriate processes to secure additional information, and the process to appeal coverage decisions.
• Show respect for other patients and health workers.
• Make a good-faith effort to meet financial obligations.
• Abide by administrative and operational procedures of health plans, health care providers, and Government health benefit programs.
• Report wrongdoing and fraud to appropriate resources or legal authorities