Today’s new census figures show the insurance industry’s argument against the patients’ bill of rights – that the bill would raise the number of uninsured -- has again been shown to be just another big lie. “The AMA wants to set the record straight,” said Thomas R. Reardon, MD, AMA Immediate Past President.

“Today’s census figures show there are fewer uninsured Americans today, despite a two-year increase in health insurance premiums. If insurers are going to put their profits before the patients of America, they should at least stick to the facts. Increased premiums have not increased the number of uninsured, and yet patients still wait for protection against managed care abuses,” Dr. Reardon said.

“More than 17 million patients have had their care delayed or denied since the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan patients’ bill of rights last October. That’s 50,000 people a day. That’s one person every two seconds who is suffering because the Senate has not acted to protect them.”

“Fear mongering about increased cost has been the HMO’s rallying cry against patients’ rights, and yet cost is no concern when premium increases add to insurance profits or CEO compensation. One insurance company CEO’s total compensation package is more than $52 million. That could cover a lot of denied care.”

“And there’s no end to the millions of dollars HMOs are spending to fight patients’ bill of rights. Millions of dollars that could be going to provide the care patients need are going to insurance industry profits, fat CEO compensation packages, and advertising to cloud the need for patients’ rights.”

“The vast majority of Americans – 87 percent -- support passing a patients’ bill of rights. Americans are not fools. Americans know a good bill when they see one; they also know a ‘big lie’ when they hear one. The AMA calls on all Senators to reject the insurers’ “big lie” and pass a real patients’ bill of rights for the patients of America.”