ACP-ASIM urges President and Congress to pass patient rights legislation

     The American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine recently sent a letter to President Bush and congressional health care leaders urging them to pass strong patients rights legislation to offset industry efforts to undercut exhibiting patient protections.  The College sites the Supreme Court's recent decision to hear oral arguments about patient rights laws. 

     The insurance industry is asking the Supreme Court to invalidate an Illinois law that gives patients the right to an independent medical review when HMOs deny care.  ACP-ASIM states that the case represents a legal maneuver by the managed care industry to invalidate state laws that give patients the right to appeal an HMO's denial of medical care and that if the Supreme Court finds in favor of the insurance companies, similar laws in forty other states may be struck down.