Consumer Protection Plan

Did you know we get several calls a week from Consumers trying to get help from managed care abuse?

There is the mother from Texas whose 9 year old was denied medical attention for suicide attempts, and the mother from Maryland whose 15 year old was denied treatment for repeated drug and alcohol abuse. Or the couple from Colorado who risk losing all of their savings to medical bills they thought were covered by their insurance.

These consumers are scared, confused, and in disbelief that they may not get the care they need for themselves and loved ones. They seek information about consumer protection laws, the appeals process, or the possibility of litigation.

And they are turning to the National Coalition for advice and leadership.

My conversations with them are never simple. There is no easy-to-find clearinghouse of information that can guide a consumer through the process of appealing managed care decisions. Every day, thousands of individuals scramble to understand their healthcare policies, the managed care system, and the laws in place to protect them. These individuals seek critical care while they find their hands tied by a system ridden in bureaucracy and deceit.

The time has come for the National Coalition to address the growing needs of consumers to receive timely information, advocacy, and protection.

In 1998, the National Coalition saw this need and began developing a Consumer Committee to establish the Coalition's first formal Consumer Protection Program. Its first order of business was to recruit experienced consumers and advocates. Its second order of business was to assist in the writing and editing of the country's first Mental Health Consumer Protection Manual: A guide to solving problems with insurance and managed care.

By January 1998 the National Coalition boasts a Consumer Committee 10 members strong and a waiting list of folks eager to give us their skills, voices, and experience. We have completed the Consumer Protection Manual and have begun a formal campaign to raise funds for its publication and distribution.

These successes have positioned us well to develop the nuts and bolts of a Consumer Protection Program. Our plan is to develop a network of Consumer Advocates who will provide informational resources to individuals in need. These advocates will be trained to connect consumers with national resources in education, advocacy, and legal aid. Advocates will also be able to connect consumers to media contacts and government representatives.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the Consumer Committee or the Consumer Protection Program, please contact the main office. There are opportunities to become Consumer Advocates, Administrative Assistants, and volunteer coordinators. Donations are always welcome to be applied to the administrative and technological support we will need to create a topnotch program.

The Consumer Protection Program will provide critical resources while developing avenues for consumers to be heard and addressed. This landmark program will continue to put the National Coalition on the map as a key player in the battle to expose, regulate and replace managed care, and restore the ethical healthcare system this country deserves.

For submissions, for volunteering to report and work with the newsletter editors, and for letters to the editor, please contact:

Editor, The Coalition Report
William A. MacGillivray, Ph.D.
newsletter@TheNationalCoalition.org

Note: When you become a member of the National Coalition, you will receive the Mental Health Consumer Protection Manual and the monthly newsletter, the Coalition Report.

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