The Coalition for Patient Choice delivered some 241,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office in Olympia Washington. After a careful count, the Washington Secretary of State's Office certified that Initiative 673 -- the Health Care Choice and Accountability initiative -- qualified to be placed on the November 4th ballot.
Initiative 673 is designed to protect the rights of consumers to choose their own doctor and increase the accountability of health insurers and managed care companies. The initiative covers all categories of state-licensed providers: chiropractors, medical doctors, naturopaths, nurse practitioners, optometrists, osteopaths, pharmacists, podiatrists and psychologists.
I-673 would also require health insurance plans to inform consumers how much health care premium income and investment income are spent on executive salaries, administration and profits, and how much actually goes to providing the patient care. Insurance companies would also be required to disclose any rules governing a patient's health care, including financial incentives and "gag" clauses that could prevent needed care.
"We are fighting a battle to protect the fundamental right of consumers to see the doctor that they choose for their health care needs, and to make insurance companies accountable for how they spend consumer health care dollars," said David Butters, DC, chairman of the Coalition for Patient Choice. "This is the most important issue on the health care agenda in the state of Washington, and in fact could serve as a national model for health care reform. The fact that we obtained nearly a quarter of a million signatures on this issue reflects the growing dissatisfaction that consumers feel about their health insurance plans."
The Coalition originally delivered 190,000 petitions to the secretary of state's office on January 3, 1997 to support Initiative 192 (see February 10, 1997 issue). I-192 was similar to I-673, but without the accountability provisions. Unfortunately, the number of petitions for I-192 (190,000) left too small a margin for the small percentage of inevitable petitioner disqualifications.
The Health Care Choice initiative enjoys support from various consumer and health care professional associations, including:
- Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Washington State
- Washington State Pharmacists Association
- Washington Association of Optometric Physicians
- Washington State Psychological Association
- Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- Washington Osteopathic Medical Association
- Washington State Chiropractic Association
- Washington State Podiatric Medical Association
- ARNP United (Nurse practitioners)
- Washington State Democratic Party
- United Food and Commercial Workers International Union #17
- Tacoma/Pierce County Labor Council
- Yakima/East Klickitat County Labor Council
- Citizens for Alternative Health Care (a Washington state citizens group committed to protecting health care choice)
To support this important initiative that is sure to have national impact, or for more information to learn how a similar initiative can be developed for your state, please contact Teresa Wippel at (800) 906-4406.
