Over 650,000 patients are admitted to Maryland hospitals each year, and millions more are seen as outpatients or in emergency rooms. Almost every Maryland citizen has had a family member or friend or themselves been hospitalized in the past year. Yet, Maryland hospitals ranked at the very bottom in the US---tied with Nevada for 50th--- in a 2015 patient satisfaction survey conducted by the Center
for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the federal government. Over 20 other states have a comprehensive and transparent bill of rights for patients. Marylanders for Patient Rights are working to get a Patient’s Bill of Rights passed in the Maryland State Legislature. The goal of the bill is to ensure that patients are treated with dignity and respect, and that they are part of the decision-making process for their own health care. Key provisions include:
• Treatment without discrimination
• Respectful care in a clean and safe environment
• Prompt emergency care for time-sensitive medical conditions
• Complete and current information on your diagnosis
• Decision-making about your own health care
• A complaint or grievance process without fear of reprisal
• A clearly itemized bill and explanation of all charges
