Jul. 21, 2001
APA SUPPORTS NEW BIPARTISAN HOUSE PATIENTS' RIGHT BILL
Washington, D.C. -- The American Psychiatric Association (APA) today joined with the American Medical Association and other medical specialty societies in supporting a new bipartisan patients' bill of rights (PBR) introduced by Representatives Greg Ganske (R-IA), John Dingell (D-MI), Charlie Norwood (R-GA), and Marion Berry (D-AR).
The new PBR bill essentially embodies landmark bipartisan legislation passed in June by the United States Senate. APA President Richard K. Harding, M.D., President-elect Paul S. Appelbaum, M.D., and Medical Director Steven M. Mirin, M.D., joined the four House sponsors at a Capitol Hill press conference to announce the introduction of the new PBR bill.
"The APA is proud to stand with Representatives Ganske, Dingell, Norwood, and Berry in urging the House of Representatives to join the bipartisan Senate majority by passing a strong patients' bill of rights. Any Representative who voted for the Norwood-Dingell bill in 1999 should vote for this new bill. This new bipartisan bill includes tough principles long advocated by APA that will bring real protections to our patients and physician members," said Dr. Harding.
"Psychiatric patients are entitled to the medically necessary care they require," said Dr. Appelbaum. "Neither psychiatrists nor their patients should have to fight with a faceless health plan bureaucrat to ensure such medically necessary care is received."
"The personal experiences of APA members' patients lead us to conclude that the health care 'marketplace' cannot work if health plans are not held to basic standards of care, and are not accountable for their actions," said Dr. Mirin.
"By introducing the Senate-passed bill, the House sponsors have gone the extra mile in meeting the concerns of those who oppose earlier PBR legislation. Our patients need a strong PBR bill. It's time for Congress to stop splitting legislative hairs and pass legislation that is widely supported and long overdue. We urge the House to pass this new bill," said Dr. Harding.
The American Psychiatric Association is the national medical specialty whose 38,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness and substance use disorders.