Editing Patients' rights (section)

==United States==
In the [[United States]] there have been a number of attempts to enshrine a patient's bill of rights in law, including a [[bill (proposed law)|bill]] rejected by Congress in 2001.<ref name="Paasche2009">{{cite journal |last1=Paasche-Orlow |first1=Michael K. |last2=Jacob |first2=Dan M. |last3=Hochhauser |first3=Mark |last4=Parker |first4=Ruth M. |title=National Survey of Patients' Bill of Rights Statutes |journal=Journal of General Internal Medicine |date=April 2009 |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=489–494 |doi=10.1007/s11606-009-0914-z|pmid=19189192 |pmc=2659155 }}</ref>

===Bill of 2001===
[[File:Patients Bill of Rights Ron Klink.jpg|thumb|A rally for the patients' bill of rights proposed in 2001, with [[Bill Clinton]], [[Joe Hoeffel]], [[Ron Klink]], [[Ed Rendell]], and [[Chaka Fattah]]]]
The [[United States Congress]] considered a bill designed to safeguard patients' rights in 2001. The "Bipartisan Patient Protection Act" (S.1052), sponsored by Senators [[Edward Kennedy]] and [[John McCain]],  contained new rules for what [[health maintenance organization]]s had to cover and granted new rights for patients to sue in state or federal courts, if they are denied needed care.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dubno|first=Dan|date=June 18, 2001|title=Bipartisan Patients' Bill Of Rights Act|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bipartisan-patients-bill-of-rights-act/|access-date=6 July 2020|website=CBS News}}</ref>

The [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and [[United States Senate|Senate]] passed differing versions of the proposed law.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mariner |first1=W. K. |title=What recourse? Liability for managed-care decisions and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act |journal=The New England Journal of Medicine |date=24 August 2000 |volume=343 |issue=8 |pages=592–596 |doi=10.1056/NEJM200008243430823 |pmid=10954770 |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10954770/ |access-date=11 August 2021 |issn=0028-4793}}</ref> Although both bills would have provided patients key rights, such as prompt access to [[emergency care]] and [[medical specialist]]s, only the Senate-passed measure would provide patients with adequate means to enforce their rights.<ref name="Paasche2009" />  The Senate's proposal would have conferred a broad array of rights on patients. It would have ensured that patients with health care plans had the right to:
*have their medical decisions made by a doctor;
*see a medical specialist;
*go to the closest emergency room;

The bill was passed by the US Senate by a vote of 59–36 in 2001,<ref>{{cite web |title=Senate Vote #220 in 2001. S. 1052 (107th): Bipartisan Patient Protection Act |website=GovTrack |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/107-2001/s220 |access-date=3 September 2016 }}</ref> it was then amended by the House of Representatives and returned to the Senate. Reportedly, president Bush threatened to veto the bill if it included the Senate's provision to allow patients to sue [[managed care]] organizations in the state and federal courts.<ref name="Paasche2009" />

===Industry resistance===

[[Wendell Potter]], former senior executive at [[Cigna]]-turned-whistleblower,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/Health/story?id=7911195&page=1 |title=How Insurance Companies Hurt Policyholders - ABC News |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=2009-06-24 |access-date=2012-08-01}}</ref> has written that the insurance industry worked to kill "any reform that might interfere with insurers' ability to increase profits" by engaging in extensive and well-funded anti-reform campaigns.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commentary: How insurance firms drive debate - CNN.com |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/17/potter.health.insurance/ |access-date=11 August 2021 |work=www.cnn.com}}</ref> The industry, he says, "goes to great lengths to keep its involvement in these campaigns hidden from public view," including the use of "front groups".<ref>{{cite web|last=Potter |first=Wendell |url=http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/09/15/potter_pr/index.html |title=How corporate P.R. works to kill healthcare reform |work=Salon.com |date=2009-09-15 |access-date=2012-08-01}}</ref>