My experience in Health Care Reform

This past legislative session, as the President of the Utah Medical Association, I was involved in sponsoring legislation that supports patient advocacy, public health and preserving the doctor–patient relationship.

Here are some highlights:

We were able to enact legislation that increased the amount of free samples that doctors could give to patients from a three-day supply to a month or more.  The effect of this bill will help patients receive medications that they might not otherwise afford and that are vital to their health.  On a similar note, we were able to get legislation passed that allows cancer specialists to dispense cancer-treating medications directly to their sickest patients at the office, at cost to the patient. 

The Utah Medical Association also supported legislation to require minors to have a guardian approve their obtaining tanning at local salons.  This requirement will protect youth from excessive UV radiation that has been shown to increase cancer risks.

Another important patient quality measure that we supported restored confidentiality to the ‘peer review’ process.  ‘Peer review’ allows physicians, nurses and other members of the health care team to meet to discuss patient quality care issues and have those issues protected. The legislation, which had strong bipartisan backing, does not hide or obscure patient complaints or errors and does not interfere in the discovery process. This allows for frank and open discussion and is vital to patient quality improvement.

These are some examples of the important advocacy for patients, the public and for the healthcare team that I am pleased to support.