Patient Rights

Key words: Patients' Bill of Rights, Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare

Note: This is a complex and important issue. You'll need to read and narrow your research question to a specific aspect of patients' rights you are interested in. Here's some background:

• There have been lots of attempts to make a Patients Bill of Rights into US law. Congress got close in 2001, but the Bill died. Insurance companies lobby (try to convince lawmakers) to not make a Patients Bill of Rights because one might affect profits.
• "Obamacare" is actually called the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (the ACA). The act makes lots of big changes to healthcare in the United States, and includes lots of provisions to protect patients' rights and access to healthcare. Check out this video from when the ACA was just rolling out for a good explanation: http://www.upworthy.com/the-simplest-explanation-of-obamacare-ever
  • See this link for an explanation of all of the rights and protections the ACA affords: https://www.healthcare.gov/health-care-law-protections/

• Rights for Undocumented Patients:
  • The National Immigration Law center has a great rundown of rights for people who may be undocumented or have undocumented family members: https://www.nilc.org/issues/health-care/health-insurance-and-care-rights/
    • and here: https://www.nilc.org/issues/health-care/aca_mixedstatusfams/