Congressman Gregory W. Meeks Announces Patient's Bill of Rights to Take Effect Today

(WASHINGTON, DC)– Today, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-6), Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Financial Services Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade, announced that the Patient’s Bill of Rights that was included in the Affordable Care Act go into effect today, six months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law.

“The 111th Congress passed one of the most significant pieces of Health Care Legislation that provides Americans access to quality and affordable healthcare. The new provisions under the Patient’s Bill of Rights will provide the necessary healthcare protection to Americans by ending lifetime limits on health coverage, preventing children from being denied overage due to a pre-existing condition and permitting children up to the age of 26 to stay on their parent’s health plan. Below are the benefits that are taking place right now under the Patient’s Bill of Rights,” stated Congressman Meeks.

For plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, all privately-insured Americans will have the following protections:

• Health coverage cannot be arbitrarily cancelled if you become sick.

• Children cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

• Children up to age 26 can stay on their parents’ health plan.

• Health insurance giants cannot put a lifetime limit on health coverage.

• Health plans’ annual limits are phased out over three years.

Beginning Thursday, consumers purchasing new plans will have the following additional protections:

• Patients have the right to choose their own doctor.

• Preventive services will be available without deductable or co-payments.

• Patients have the right to both an internal and external appeal of insurers’ coverage decisions.

• Patients have the right to access out-of-network emergency room care at in-network cost-sharing rates

Now serving in his sixth full-term, Meeks was elected to the House on February 3, 1998. Representing New York's Sixth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, Meeks' district covers all towns of Southeast Queens, Far Rockaway and Howard Beach. He is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Congressman Meeks is the Chairman of the International Monetary Policy & Trade Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. He is a Member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), New Democrats Coalition and the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). He serves as the Co-chair of the Malaysia Caucus, Services Caucus, Dialogue Caucus, OAS Caucus and the Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus.