Petition for Health Insurer Code of Conduct Garners Widespread National Support
- Alliance for Patient Access Petition Signed By Physicians and Patient Advocates Across the Nation -
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The recent call for a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct has won support from a number of groups across the country as many have joined the Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA) effort by signing a petition in favor of regulating managed care industries. Issued on March 10th, AfPA’s petition calls for the adoption of a Code of Conduct, currently being drafted by the American Medical Association, which will address the restrictive practices of the managed care industry that undermine the integrity of doctor-patient relationships.
“Support of the petition from physicians and patient advocacy groups has been encouraging,” said AfPA Chairman David Charles, M.D. “The principles that are advocated for in the code of conduct – transparency, corporate integrity, clinical autonomy and patient safety and welfare – have resonated with the health community, and groups are responding by signing the petition. This wide range of support demonstrates the growing recognition that the time has come for health insurance companies to adopt a voluntary Code of Conduct.”
Just one month after its launch, the petition has been signed by doctor and patient advocacy groups across the country, including the Georgia State Medical Association, Healthy African American Families, Out With Cancer, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health and National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Association.
“The AfPA petition is finally giving a voice to concerns over interference in the care physicians provide their patients,” said Dr. Charles. “Groups are working tirelessly to end the increasingly aggressive practices of managed care companies, with an ultimate goal of ensuring patient safety and access to approved therapies.”
Supporters of the AfPA Petition Include:
Georgia State Medical Association
The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Association
The Birmingham Area Fibromyalgia Coalition
Indiana Minority Health Coalition
Indiana Society of Sleep Professionals
Easter Seals of Iowa
Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) of Nebraska
National Association of Hispanic Nurses/ Colorado Chapter
National Association of Hispanic Nurses/ New York Chapter
Colorado Council of Black Nurses
Rocky Mountain Stroke Association
For Grace
Healthy African American Families
MaleCare Prostate Cancer Support
Out With Cancer
New York State Rheumatology Society
Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc.
Epilepsy Coalition of New York State, Inc,
Central Jewish Council, Inc.
Lupus Agencies of New York State
American Liver Foundation, Western PA Chapter
Central Pennsylvania Allergy & Asthma
Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association
New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHA)
New Jersey Mental Health Institute
National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health
Massachusetts Association for Mental Health
Comments from Supporters:
“Everyone understands the importance of appropriate health care cost containment and managed care is an important part of that effort. However, we see too many instances where the patient doctor relationship is interfered with and access to appropriate care and medication is denied or unreasonably limited. The focus must be on patient well being, outcomes, and improving health care and not on insurer’s balance sheet or bottom line.”
--Tim O’Leary, Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc., a private non-profit advocacy organization in Boston
"The AfPA's petition is a critical first step to raising awareness of the need for transparency in health care and to ensuring that caregivers and patients are able to put a patient's health first."
--Rosanna Reyes, RN, MPA, President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses/ Colorado Chapter
"The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies signed on because they believe in the core principles expressed in the Code of Conduct and also strongly believe that quality care must focus on managing care, not costs.”
--Phillip A. Saperia, Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc.
"The Epilepsy Coalition of New York State stands behind the proposed Code of Conduct for health insurers because we believe that restrictions to the patient's access to care undermine the physician-patient relationship and can have severe consequences for individuals."
--Pamela Conford, Chairperson, Epilepsy Coalition of New York State, Inc.
"Central Jewish Council believes strongly that the doctor-patient relationship should be the core of all treatment decisions. Choices in healthcare should be made based on what is best for the patient, not for a company's bottom line.”
--Chaim Wercberger, Central Jewish Council, Inc.
“It is time we act in the best interest of the patients again. Let us not displace the expertise of our physicians with the cost-savings measures from insurers.”
--Dan Suarez, RN, MA, President National Association of Hispanic Nurses/ New York Chapter
“Policies and practices that delay or limit access to necessary medications do not make any sense from the clinical and humane perspectives and further, they just do not make smart fiscal sense. Immediate access to evidence based procedures and medications save money and most importantly, save lives."
--Debra L. Wentz, Ph.D., CEO, New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHA)
The AMA House of Delegates passed a resolution in November of 2008 to draft and adopt a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct. According to the resolution, the AMA code will set forth clear and concise principles addressing both medical policies and payment issues, as well as create a mechanism to monitor compliance by managed care companies. AfPA’s petition supports the AMA’s efforts and calls for the inclusion of specific key principles, including clinical autonomy, full transparency, business integrity, and patient safety.
The AfPA petition for a Health Insurer Code of Conduct is accessible on: www.insurepatientaccess.org
About AfPA
AfPA is a national network of over 250 physicians with the shared mission of ensuring and protecting patient access to approved medical treatments and therapies, including prescription pharmaceuticals, biologics, and medical devices. AfPA accomplishes this mission through educating members on policy priorities and training them to be effective patient advocates. Specifically, AfPA recruits and trains health policy-minded physicians to be effective advocates at a local, state and federal level, and then facilitates communications between them as they promote pro-access health policy. AfPA’s policy agenda is focused on global health policy issues including: comparative effectiveness, therapeutic substitution, prescriptive authority, evidence-based medicine, bio-similar safety, and health access disparities.
# # #
All News Items
August 26, 2010 - The Lund Report: The Best Care Possible: You're Worth It
June 14, 2010 - American Medical News: 10 things health insurers must do to regain trust; The AMA, with endorsement from 68 state and medical specialty societies, outlines steps health plans must take to be credible in the eyes of physicians and patients.
February 27, 2010 - Providence Journal: The creepy third person in doctor’s exam room
November 28, 2009 - Newport News Daily Press: MDs under attack
November 04, 2009 - The Hill: A code of conduct for health insurers
October 27, 2009 - WCBU-FM 89.9 (Peoria, Ill.) radio news
October 26, 2009 - WEEK (NBC - Peoria, Ill.): Developing a doctor-patient relationship
October 12, 2009 - Las Vegas Business Press: Here's a prescription: A health insurers code of ethics
September 09, 2009 - Maryland State Medical Society Resolution 14-09
August 29, 2009 - The Island Packet: AMA code puts doctors, patients in charge of care
August 28, 2009 - Baltimore Times: Group calls on health insurers
August 27, 2009 - Baltimore Times: Nursing Maryland back to health
August 20, 2009 - Lincoln Journal-Star: Pharmacists forced to serve insurers rather than patients
August 19, 2009 - WSTM-NBC3: Prescription medication battle heats up in Central New York
August 17, 2009 - New York State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein blog: For Health or Profit? Klein Unveils Sickly Scorecard of Major HMOs
August 17, 2009 - New York Daily News: Prescription Prescription drug coverage marred by bureaucracy, survey says
August 13, 2009 - Leading African American Groups Call On Health Insurers to Dismiss Restrictive Practices
August 13, 2009 - San Diego Union-Tribune: Bureaucracy won't contain costs
August 01, 2009 - Huntington, W.V. Herald-Dispatch: Insurers put stress on the physician-patient relationship
July 21, 2009 - Chicago Tribune: They authorized back surgery but denied his $148,000 claim
July 17, 2009 - American Osteopathic Association calls for Development of Code of Conduct
July 12, 2009 - Houston Chronicle: Another kind of remedy for the sick; Code of conduct would protect patients
July 07, 2009 - Washington Post: Health Reform: Who Holds the Reins on Care?
July 06, 2009 - NATIONAL HEALTH INSURER CODE OF CONDUCT HITS 1000 SIGNATURES OF SUPPORT
June 30, 2009 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Code of conduct needed for health insurers, too
June 24, 2009 - Penn. Pharmacists Association: “A Patient Walks Up to the Counter …”
June 24, 2009 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Broken bonds; The physician-patient relationship is being destroyed by the cost-driven decisions of health insurers
June 09, 2009 - Bellingham (Wash.) Herald: Time for a health insurance code of conduct
June 08, 2009 - Mississippi Business Journal: Transparency is the best medicine; Health Insurer Code of Conduct may improve the quality of care
June 03, 2009 - Frederick (Md.) News Post Op-Ed: Pharmacists pawns in health care's game of chess
June 01, 2009 - KUSI-TV interview with Dr. Jack Schim
May 25, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle: Doctor pushes back against insurer scrutiny
May 08, 2009 - Fox News Health Blog: Bad Medicine: Is Your Insurance Company Hazardous to Your Health?
April 27, 2009 - Petition for Health Insurer Code of Conduct Garners Widespread National Support
April 20, 2009 - On-line petition launched in support of a national health insurer code of conduct
April 13, 2009 - Petition launched in support of a national health insurer code of conduct
April 09, 2009 - Westchester (N.Y.) Herald letters: Access to Quality Healthcare
April 01, 2009 - Los Angeles Society of Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology Applauds the AMA for Developing Health Insurer Code of Conduct
March 24, 2009 - Arizona Republic: Patient care, not financial gain, must take priority
March 22, 2009 - Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle: Health insurers should agree to a code of conduct
March 20, 2009 - Buffalo News: Code of conduct would protect patients from insurers
March 10, 2009 - AfPA Launches Petition in Support of a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct
March 09, 2009 - Texas Medical Society: Health Insurance Code of Conduct Act of 2009; The Time Has Come
March 09, 2009 - American Medical News: MSSNY president: Insurer settlements highlight need for code of conduct
February 01, 2009 - Colorado Medicine: Health Insurer Code of Conduct?
January 24, 2009 - Fresno Bee: Doctors push code of conduct for insurers
December 10, 2008 - Lupus Agencies of New York State Applaud AMA's Resolution to Develop a "Code of Conduct" for Health Insurers
December 09, 2008 - New York State Rheumatology Society Position Paper: AMA Resolution 823
November 20, 2008 - National Minority Quality Forum Applauds AMA's Health Insurer Code of Conduct
November 14, 2008 - Alliance for Patient Access Applauds AMA's Health Insurer Code of Conduct
November 13, 2008 - Alliance for Better Medicine Calls on California Health Insurers to Adopt a "Code of Conduct"
November 13, 2008 - Los Angeles County Medical Association Reinforces AMA's Call for a Health Insurer Code of Conduct
|
|
