North Carolina Legislature Approves Patients’ Bill of Rights; Governor Expected to Sign
The North Carolina General Assembly has passed "sweeping" patients' rights legislation (S 199) that includes a provision allowing patients to sue their managed care plans, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. The state Senate passed the bill last week, and the state House unanimously endorsed the measure Oct. 9. The bill would:
- Allow patients with chronic conditions to designate specialists as primary care doctors.
- Establish a process by which patients can appeal a health plan's medical decision to an independent panel after two internal reviews. After the external review process, patients can sue health plans in state court.
- Create a state-managed care assistance program to help patients navigate the appeals process.
- Permit patients who are being treated for chronic conditions and whose doctor has been dropped from a health plan's network to continue treatment with that doctor for up to 90 days (Bonner, Raleigh News & Observer, 10/10).
- Prohibit insurers from giving doctors financial incentives to deny or limit care.
- Permit parents to select a pediatrician as a primary care provider for children.
Support and Opposition
The North Carolina Association of Health Plans "remains concerned" about the cost of the provision allowing patients to sue their health plans, the AP/News & Observer reports. Further, the association would prefer that the state Department of Insurance run the managed care assistance program; the bill would allow Gov. Mike Easley (D) to determine which agency will run the program. Other organizations, such as the citizens' group North Carolina Health Access Coalition, hailed the bill as a "good compromise" (Robertson, AP/Raleigh News & Observer, 10/9). In addition, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, one of the state's largest insurers, supports the bill (Raleigh News & Observer, 10/10). Easley, who has promoted the bill since his gubernatorial campaign, "plans to sign" the measure (AP/Raleigh News & Observer, 10/9). For further information on state health policy in North Carolina, visit State Health Facts Online.
