For Immediate Release
Wednesday, November 19, 1997
Statement by AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee on Enforcement of Health Care Standards and Protections
Washington, DC —President Clinton’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry today adopted a health care Consumer Bill of Rights. In conjunction with the Advisory Commission’s recommendations, a broad coalition of health care consumer, advocacy and labor groups is calling for the implementation of federally enforced health care standards that would implement the Bill of Rights to protect consumers and health care professionals.
AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee, who was named to the Advisory Commission by President Clinton early this year, addressed two key points on the issue of enforcement of health care standards:
Why federally enforced standards are necessary:
"Anyone who has been delayed in receiving treatment, been denied treatment, had treatment options severely limited or been hurried out of the hospital or doctor’s office without adequate information or education into their illness understands why it is important that these standards are not only established, but aggressively enforced. Too many patients have paid insurers for health care coverage, only to find out that their health care provider is unable to refer them for specialized care or that coverage for the treatment they need has been deemed unnecessary. It is absolutely vital that health care standards are established and enforced so that consumers know they will have access to quality medical treatment when it is needed."
Rising Costs vs. Quality Care:
"In reality, the costs associated with enforcing these standards are nominal when compared to the high cost of refusing referrals or treatment options to patients. By denying referrals or treatment options, insurers may initially save money. But in the long run, these savings are lost when illnesses, which may have been treated quickly and easily in early stages, are allowed to progress to serious or even critical stages."
"National consumer protection standards will force health plans and insurers to invest and innovate. Instead of competing to avoid treatment for sick people, they will compete on the basis of providing those people with quality health care.
