THE PATIENT ACCESS TO RESPONSIBLE HEALTH CARE ACT

HR 1415

S 644

One Small Step Toward Sanity

"Dentistry's best friend in Congress", Rep. Charlie Norwood, DDS (R-Georgia), along with Alfonse D'Amato, (R-NY), is co-sponsoring for the second time legislation intended to guarantee certain basic patient rights in the health care system. Although nothing is easy in Washington's political scheme, the concepts of the PARCA Bill are quite simple- to institute basic federal standards for every health plan by legislating basic rights to health care access, health care information, and due process in disputes in which coverage has been denied or limited. The Bill includes an amendment to ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) which is apparently a hot topic, as it is feared that such basic standards would increase the cost of health care to employers. According to the ADA News, many business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce, are outspoken against the Bill.

Rep. Norwood has about 185 of the 200 endorsements he needs to push the Bill to the Congretional floors. Each and every dentist can help by contacting his or her legislators and urging sponsorship of the Bill. This Bill does not legislate one-hour prophies or 20 micron crown margins, but it is a start towards the return of quality to health care- quality the way it used to by measured: one patient at a time.

An October, 1997 survey performed by Wirthlin Worldwide made several interesting findings:

95% of adults agreed and 88% agreed strongly that "it is very important for me to have the option of choosing my own doctor".

73% worry that managed care organizations may be able to deny or delay needed treatment.

89% favor a legally guaranteed appeals process.

92% favor legally guaranteed access to full range health care.

93% favor legally required plain-English written information regarding a manged care organization's sevices.

71% would be likely to cast their Congressional votes according to the above sense of patient rights.

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8American Independent Dentist's Association
Last update 03/26/98