Fighting for Patients’ Rights? One Must Find Them First

Re: “Ways to Optimize Your Care This Year” (Jan. 8): In late July, my wife of 32 years was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor. Since that time, I have been engaged in what are genuinely life-or-death battles with our HMO and the “medical group” that ultimately is responsible for treatment.

Even while trying to learn the difficult role of becoming primary caregiver to someone with a debilitating disease, I have had to spend upward of half of some days fighting the HMO system to obtain what should be clearly obvious treatment for my wife. I have burnt many midnight hours on the Internet trying to track down the rights that patients are supposed to have.

One thing I have learned is that even patient-oriented health professionals--such as the visiting nurse association--are unaware of the rights that patients got at the start of 2000 and Jan. 1, 2001. I ended up making a list of these rights and the list has been eagerly taken by the visiting nurses and physical, occupational, and speech therapists who assist my wife. These professionals are making copies of my list and passing them out to their other patients.

A far better way to simultaneously and more competently and thoroughly reach a million-plus people with news of these important new patients’ rights is for The Times to publish a description of these new rights.

--JOHN ROSSMANN

Tustin