FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2000
CONTACT: Katie Orrico
(202) 628-2072
Statement Of
Stanley Pelofksy, MD, President-Elect
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Private Practice Neurosurgeon in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
at the
American Association of University Women
Press Conference on Managed Care Reform
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
NEUROSURGEONS URGE SENATE/HOUSE CONFEREES TO FINALIZE PATIENT BILL OF RIGHTS AGREEMENT NOW!
"Neurosurgeons, like other physicians across the country, frequently report seeing patients who have not received timely and appropriate medical care because of the problems associated with the managed care system. The result has been needless delays in treatment and patient suffering. In my own practice, I witness this every day. My patients are often denied access to medically necessary care. And even when they eventually receive the treatment they need, we are often required to expend an enormous amount of time, energy and resources to jump through the complicated and unnecessary hoops that many HMOs impose on patients and doctors.
"This is why the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons are calling on Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) and the entire Congress to enact meaningful patient protection legislation this year. And what better place to deliver our message, but here in the Oklahoma State Capitol building, where less than a month ago, our state legislature passed and Governor Keating signed into law a bill that will hold health plans accountable for the decisions they make about patient care. Unfortunately for Oklahomans, our own law will not afford all of our state's citizens the benefits of these protections. We therefore need a federal law as well, to ensure that all 168 million insured Americans have as a floor basic patient protections.
"Congress should be mindful that it is not just the nation's doctors who want this legislation. An overwhelming majority of Americans believe that this is one of the most important issues facing our country. A recent poll conducted by the Luntz Research Companies and Laszlo & Associates on behalf of the Patient Access Coalition, a national coalition representing nearly 70 national patient and provider groups, found that:
-- 87 percent of voters believe it is important that Congress enact a patients' bill of rights this year;
-- 72 percent of voters would support enactment of a patients' bill of rights, even if it meant a monthly premium increase of $15; and
-- 60 percent of voters say they will be more likely to vote against their member of Congress if he or she votes against a patients' bill of rights this year.
"Our message today is therefore simple: Senator Nickles, the people of Oklahoma and indeed the entire nation need a law - not a bill. Congress must complete the job it started last year by agreeing on a final package that:
-- Allows patients to be treated by the doctor of their choice;
-- Gives patients timely access to specialists;
-- Includes a prudent layperson standard for emergency services;
-- Lets doctors discuss all available treatment options with their patients;
-- Holds health plans accountable for decisions that keep patients from getting the care that they need when they need it; and
-- Applies the patient protections to all health plans.
"It needs to be done. It is the right thing to do. Senator Nickles, please just do it! It's just good medicine."
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The AANS, founded in 1931, and the CNS, founded in 1951, are the two largest scientific and educational associations for neurosurgical professionals in the world. These groups represent approximately 4,800 practicing neurosurgeons in the United States. Active members of the two groups are neurosurgeons who have completed four years of medical school and four to seven years of additional specialized training. Neurosurgery is the surgical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the spine, brain, nervous systems and peripheral nerves.
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