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Baltimore Times: Nursing Maryland back to health
OpEd by Pat Meadley, President, Black Nurses Association of Baltimore
With the uncertainty of the world’s economy and its bleak forecast, people’s lives have been turned upside down worrying about job layoffs, wondering if they will be able to pay their mortgage or put food on the table. If people lose their jobs, they also lose their company-sponsored health insurance or can no longer afford to pay for their existing coverage.
On top of a long laundry list of things to worry about, keeping their families healthy enough to avoid a costly visit to the emergency room is now at the top of the list. This is a why a health insurer code of conduct is so important.
Having ethical guidelines makes sense to those of us on the frontlines in patient care. Nurses follow them each and every day as we care for patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices and community clinics. Our health care system is disorganized and confusing; patients need guidelines that offer clearer information about medication and treatment coverage and they deserve open communication from their doctors about the best medical course of treatment for their disease. This should not be bottom line driven – it should be patient driven.
Being a nurse in the midst of this crumbling house of cards is a scary place. The traditional role of a nurse is to focus on restoring the patient’s health and alleviate suffering. As changes in health care continue to evolve our current system and health reform takes center stage in a national health care debate, nurses should and will continue to promote patient well-being on the front lines to make sure that patient care is, above all else, held to the highest standard. But how will health care reform change the nurse’s role?
In the state of Maryland, it is becoming quite challenging for nurses to simply maintain the status quo in the current health care system. We are widening, rather than closing, the gaps on health disparities and standards in health care. More and more of a nurse’s time is now spent on the phone fighting with health insurers to secure prior approvals for medically necessary treatments and coverage benefits for our patients rather than treating them for their condition. In Maryland, these practices affect a large portion of the state’s racial and ethnic minorities, including African Americans.
Our minority patient population is affected the most during this battle. Chronic diseases severely impact the minority patient population, and African Americans are more likely to suffer from severe chronic diseases including asthma, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, sickle cell anemia and AIDS. We should be encouraging minority populations to maintain a healthy lifestyle and frequently forego well visits and preventive measures like diet and exercise. They are more likely to pay a visit to the emergency room rather than a primary care physician who knows their medical history and can advocate on their behalf.
The nurse needs to be a second pair of eyes and ears for these patients. We need to be aware of our patients’ treatments to make sure what they are being prescribed and administered is in accordance with their health plan. If not, patients end costly medical bills that they can’t afford. This, I assure you, will not alleviate suffering.
It is for this reason the Black Nurses Association stands behind the American Medical Association’s proposed Health Insurer Code of Conduct. One of the Code of Conduct’s ultimate goals is to put patient safety and welfare first. As nurses, this is a motto we live by.
This op-ed appeared on page 2 of the August 21 - 27, 2009 issue.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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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
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