Citizens4Health Healthcare Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

The attainment of the highest possible level of health and well being is a fundamental human right. A complex healthcare system, made up of numerous stakeholders, is required to meet the demand for healthcare services for the individual. The political system must be responsible for guaranteeing the availability of healthcare services to every American by holding stakeholders accountable. The American healthcare system is broken, inefficient and fails to serve the needs of a growing number of Americans putting them at risk for their lives and financial well being and our country on a path to un-sustained cost increases.

Healthcare reform is urgently needed to bring about a healthcare system that is guided by the goal of attaining the highest possible level of healthcare for all Americans at a cost that is affordable.

We call on our political representatives to develop through legislation, the social infrastructure for a healthcare system that provides Americans with the peace of mind that comes about with having secure health insurance coverage that is always available, affordable, and provides accessible quality healthcare.

Objectives:

The Healthcare Bill of Rights and Responsibilities is intended to:

• affirm the essential goals of the healthcare system- promoting, maintain and restore health at an affordable cost to the individual and to our nation

• define a right to health care services that achieve the goal of health care

• strengthen the confidence of the public in the political, business and medical leadership, by holding them accountable for enacting a healthcare system that is fair, accountable and responsive to our needs as citizens, consumers and patients

• assert our right to choose health insurance coverage that will meet our needs as citizens, patients and consumers

• reaffirm the centrality of the relationship between patients and their healthcare professionals in decisions about their health care

• reaffirm the shared responsibility and define accountability for all stakeholders in healthcare

• safeguard limited societal resources of healthcare and the finances associated with it

Preamble

We The People, in order to create a just and effective healthcare system that answers America’s need to achieve the highest level of health, the peace of mind of affordability, and provide for the welfare of the Nation, demand:

Article I: Healthcare Insurance Coverage

Healthcare insurance coverage of all Americans with basic benefits for medical care, including: prevention, acute care, chronic care, and end-of-life care. The coverage must guarantee access to health and medical services that are evidence-based and clinically indicated. Furthermore, coverage must be reliable, citizen-based, lifelong, portable, and independent of preexisting conditions, employment status, geographic residence, and age.

Article II: Access to Quality Healthcare

Access to quality healthcare services that is timely (no needless delays), equitable (no unjustified variation), comprehensive (including emergency and long-term care), available and easily accessible, offering choice of provider and evidence-based treatment options.

Article III: Quality Healthcare

Quality, informed healthcare that is: coordinated, safe (no harm), efficient (no waste), effective (no needless failures), patient-centered (no helplessness or unjustified routines), and competent.

Article IV: Cost of Healthcare Services

Affordable and sustainable healthcare services for individuals, businesses, and government. The public must know the total cost of their care including the cost of healthcare insurance, out-of-pocket expenses, and deductibles. Treatments must be affordable and must not constitute a barrier for achieving health care coverage and accessing needed healthcare services.

Article V: Healthcare Innovation

Healthcare innovation through research in services and products that leads to continued improvement in the health status of the American population. All Americans have the expectation that innovation and advanced treatments will be developed and available to improve their lives.