Enforcing Health Rights

Biggest Challenge: Enforcing Health Rights

--Herbert

Response from DM:

Dear Herbert:

I am going to assume that you are referring to enforcing the health rights of patients, which are basically the rights that patients with health plans are entitled to when receiving medical care. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act last year, certain changes were made to the Patient’s Bill of Rights, mostly pertaining to preexisting condition exclusions, lifetime and annual limits, rescissions (denying coverage), and patient protections.

If you feel you were treated unfairly, and need to look into enforcing some of these rights, that is a legal question, and I am not a lawyer. You need to consult with the best lawyer you can find who handles these types of cases and has a thorough knowledge of health care law. If you are over 50 and are a member of AARP, they have a legal department that may have information or may be able to give you some guidance. Just keep in mind that lawyers charge by the hour and sometimes by the case. Know what you are getting involved in financially, emotionally and time wise. Legal cases that have merit can drag on for years.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marion