U.S. Patients' Bill of Rights - Bill of 2001

Bill of 2001

A patients' bill of rights was considered by Congress in 2001. Its proposed title was the "Bipartisan Patient Protection Act". It was known officially as Senate Bill S.1052 and informally as the "McCain-Edwards-Kennedy Patients' Bill of Rights". The bill was an attempt at providing comprehensive protections to all Americans covered by health insurance plans.

The House of Representatives and Senate passed differing versions of the proposed law. Although both bills would have provided patients key rights, such as prompt access to emergency care and medical specialists, only the Senate-passed measure would provide patients with adequate means to enforce their rights. 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;
• designate a pediatrician as a primary care doctor for their children;
• keep the same doctor throughout their medical treatment;
• obtain the prescription drugs their doctor prescribes;
• access a fair and independent appeals process if care is denied; and
• hold their health plan accountable for harm done.

The bill was passed by the US Senate by a vote of 59-36 in 2001, it was then amended the House of Representatives and returned to the Senate. However it ultimately failed.