RICHMOND, Va. -- Navigating the healthcare industry as a patient without direct knowledge of the ever-changing practices and processes in place can be head-spinning for the average consumer. The Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association (VHHA) has launched a new campaign to make Virginians aware of existing consumer protection laws on the books.
Dubbed, the "Control Your Care" campaign, VHHA has launched a website with easy-to-understand information about several new consumer-focused healthcare laws and links to help patients resolve any issues they might encounter.
“Our suspicion was that people were not really aware of these things and not taking advantage of these things," said Julian Walker, VP of Communications for VHHA. “Understanding all these things can be complicated, and life is busy and people don’t always have time to research. We’re trying to simplify the process for people by giving people all the tools and resources.”
Walker said their polling showed 80% of Virginians did not realize there was a state law passed in 2020 protecting patients from a surprise medical bill when receiving care from an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility during a medical emergency. Similarly, a majority of those polled did not know about various pricing transparency and good faith pricing estimate laws.
If patients better understand how health care is delivered and their rights within the system, Walker said health care outcomes will improve overall.
“Healthcare is a two-way street. It involves the patient, feedback from the patient. The patient should be involved in their care plan, as well as input and advice and guidance from the provider," he said.
"No one is doing this at this point," Walker said about the campaign. "We have two choices here, either continue to let the status quo exist or take the initiative and do something about it. We're choosing to take the initiative to invest resources to build a campaign to inform the public, to inform patients and consumers."
Larry Vines visits the doctor's office about once a month.
He said his Medicare provider does a good job of updating him on billing and policy changes, but Vines said what patients don't know can't help them.
“They’re government-sponsored, or state-sponsored. It’s out there for us to get," he said.
The Control Your Care campaign will be ongoing and include radio, print, and television advertising to help get the word out, Walker said.
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