~ Patient Advocacy

[Guest guest]

I hope this helps! -

http://www.patientadvocacy.org

" Patients can call our toll-free hotline (800-846-7444) to receive advice

from patient advocates. "

The Center for Patient Advocacy is at the forefront of the battle to ensure

that patients have timely access to the highest quality health care in the

world. Fueled by the strength of a diverse, nationwide, grassroots coalition

that is constantly growing, the Center has established a strong grassroots

presence on Capitol Hill to advocate for the rights of patients.

Prior to the Center's founding in 1995, no single organization truly brought

the patient's perspective to the health care debate in Washington. However,

the Center has filled that void. We have established a new type of consumer

organization. One that not only brings the real-life concerns of patients to

the attention of the nation's lawmakers, the media and the public, but also

educates patients about the health care system and assists them with the

problems they experience. But what makes the Center truly unique, is that we

motivate patients to become " citizen lobbyists " for health care reform and

encourage them to play a more proactive role in the legislative process that

can help to ensure patients have access to quality health care.

While the Center encourages patients to take part in the health care debate,

we also provide assistance to patients who are experiencing problems in the

nation's managed health care system. Patients can call our toll-free hotline

(800-846-7444) to receive advice from patient advocates. In addition, the

Center has published several educational brochures to help patients navigate

through the maze of managed care. The brochures, which are free to the

public, provide patients with helpful information on how managed care works,

the pitfalls of managed care, questions to ask before choosing health

insurance, and how to fight back when patients have a problem with their

health plan.

Our outreach programs provide patients with the tools and information they

need to speak out and make a difference in the health care debate. Our

toll-free hotline, quarterly newsletter, legislative actions alerts,

award-winning homepage on the internet (www.patientadvocacy.org), and easy to

understand information about the legislative process and proposals moving

through Congress are just a few of the services and resources available from

the Center. By offering these types of resources and services, the Center

helps to empower patients with the decisions affecting their health care and

gives them the ability to effectively deliver their message to Congress.

There perhaps is no better example of this than the enactment of the

Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, landmark maternity stay

legislation passed during the 104th Congress. During that debate, the Center

was responsible for activating more than 100,000 Americans nationwide to

contact Congress and demand that the legislation be passed. And through these

efforts, the Center was able to craft a bipartisan coalition of Members of

Congress in support of the bill. In fact, the grassroots support generated by

the Center was praised by the legislation's sponsors as a major reason it

became law.

The accomplishments the Center for Patient Advocacy has achieved in our short

history are, indeed, exciting. However, the Center's success has only been

possible because of strong and solid support from thousands of patients

across the country. As individuals, our efforts to fight for patient rights

seem insignificant compared to the agendas of the managed care industry and

other organizations who have enormous corporate resources. But, working

together to form a single grassroots coalition of hundreds of thousands of

voices, there is no politician, corporation or government agency -- no matter

how large or powerful -- who can ignore us.

Every day the Center articulates patient concerns to Members of Congress, the

Administration and the media. During the 105th Congress alone, the Center and

our members have testified before Congress 10 times and we have participated

in numerous " town hall " meetings, press events and field hearings held by

Members of Congress and the President. The Center also is a regular source

from which the media seeks information and comment. We have been featured in

countless newspapers, magazines, and television programs, including: CNN,

PBS, ABC, NBC and CBS; The Washington Post, The Miami Herald and the San

Francisco Chronicle; Time Magazine, U.S. News & World Report and Good

Housekeeping... and the list goes on.

The Center's unique ability to activate the public and inspire them to

participate in the legislative process has been and will continue to be the

key to our success. And as health care needs and issues change over the

coming years, the Center for Patient Advocacy will remain a strong constant

-- fighting on the side of patients to ensure that Americans have timely

access to the highest quality health care in the world.

If you or your organization would like to join us in our continued fight for

quality patient care, please contact the Center or visit our homepage on the

internet, www.patientadvocacy.org. As a grassroots coalition of patients and

patient advocates working together, we can make a difference in the lives and

health of millions of American patients.