In Canada and the United Kingdom, government-controlled health care has resulted in long waits and denied care for routine procedures. Two members of Congress are trying to prevent the same from happening in the United States as reform talks move forward.

Charlie Dent

U.S. Reps. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), the co-chairs of the GOP Tuesday Group, have co-authored legislation to guarantee the rights of patients to control their own health care decisions.

The Medical Rights Act would guaranteed that private health care would not be denied by government restrictions, banning interference into the doctor-patient relationship by “protecting the right of Americans to get the care they need when they need it,” according to a statement by the two congressmen.

Dent said as Congress begins to address the issue of health care reform, there is a greater need to “protect the sacrosanct relationship between a patient and doctor.”

“We should look for common ground in reforms that make health care more accessible and affordable, while improving quality and promoting personalized care,” he said. “One of the greatest strengths of our health care system is that Americans can rely on getting the care that they need when they need it. This legislation will assure Americans that their health care decisions will continue to be made between themselves and their physician.”

Kirk cited the circumstances in Canada and the United Kingdom, where “bureaucrats dictate when and if patients may be treated.”

“Make no mistake – delayed care is denied care,” he said. “The Medical Rights Act guarantees that the government will not come between a doctor and a patient. I look forward to working with President Obama and the congressional leadership to make sure we do not repeat the mistakes of Canada and Britain. Congress should ensure these protections are the centerpiece of a comprehensive health care reform plan.”

The pair pointed out that currently, in the U.S., only 26% of sick adults waited more than four weeks to see a specialist, while in Canada and the United Kingdom, more than twice as many citizens wait longer than a month to receive the care they need, citing a 2008 Commonwealth Fund study.

By enacting the Medical Rights Act, the pair said, Congress can ensure that Americans “keep the choice, quality and access currently denied citizens of the United Kingdom and Canada.