Your Rights Under Virginia's Patient Protection Act.

Virginia law protects the rights of the Commonwealth's patients.. Following are the key patient protections which are now law in Virginia:

Any insurance carrier providing health insurance in Virginia must notify enrollees of the termination from the carrier's provider panel of the enrollee's primary care provider and allow enrollees (upon request) to continue to receive health care services for a period of up to sixty days from the date of the primary care provider's notice of termination from the panel, except when a provider is terminated "for cause."

Any insurance carrier providing health insurance in Virginia must notify the purchaser of the health plan, whether such purchaser is an individual or an employer providing a health benefit plan, in whole or in part, to its employees, and enrollees of the health benefit plan, a description of all types of payment arrangements that the carrier uses to compensate providers including, but not limited to, withholds, bonuses, captivation, and fee for service discounts, and the terms of the plan in clear and understandable language which reasonably informs the purchaser of the practical application of such terms in the operation of the plan.

Insurance carriers in Virginia must provide to a purchaser, and to existing enrollees at least once a year, a list of members on its provider panel, and indicate which providers are not currently accepting new patients.

No insurance carrier can require that the physician indemnify the carrier for the carrier's negligence, willful misconduct or breech of contract; require a provider, as a condition of participation on the panel, to waive any right to seek legal redress against the carrier; or prohibit, impede or interfere in the discussion of medical treatment options between a patient and a physician, (the so-called "gag rule").

For additional information on Virginia's Patient Rights, call the medical society at 703-934-8818.