CBO Confirms Patients' Bill of Rights Cost Pennies

"For months now the insurance and managed care industry has spent millions of dollars in advertising, press conferences and lobbying telling the American public that patient protections would cost a fortune. Throughout this debate they have focused on fear and deception to try and kill patient protections.

"But those of us fighting for managed care protections have known that the industry's projections were wildly inaccurate. The Congressional Budget Office today confirms what many objective analyses have already found, managed care consumer protections will cost pennies per day.

"The Patients' Bill of Rights would cost the American consumer a little less than $2 per employee per month and would ensure that all Americans would be protected from managed care plan abuses. Seven cents per day is little to pay to ensure that patients receive the health care coverage they have been promised by their health plans.

"A new study released yesterday by Families USA, confirms that The Patients' Bill of Rights Act is the only proposal currently in Congress that addresses all of the major protections consumers are concerned about. Senator Nickles and Speaker Gingrich's proposal would not only limit who is protected, but also would only address a small number of managed care protections."

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org