The Patient Bill of Rights under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) there are eight sections dictating patient rights that are explained as follows:
- Information for patients
- Choice of plans and providers: patients have the right to choose their doctors, hospitals, and medical facilities
- Access to emergency services: patients have the right to be treated in an ER setting regardless of insurance policy, stabilized and transferred to a facility that accepts their insurance
- Taking part in treatment decisions: if the patient is of sound mind and is not under the care of a legally appointed caregiver such as a loved one with power of attorney, they reserve the right to refuse or accept treatment based on their personal beliefs and values regardless of the outcome
- Respect and non-discrimination: race, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion
- Confidentiality of your health information: physician-patient confidentiality
- Complaints and appeals: patients reserve the right to file a complaint with HIPAA if they feel they did not receive the standard of care required by law
- Consumer responsibilities
Am I entitled to compensation?
After receiving substandard care or having been misdiagnosed by a physician, a patient may have the right to compensation obtained on their behalf by an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. In order to compensate the victim to the full extent the law allows, it’s imperative that a victim’s chosen medical malpractice lawyer has seen the inside of a courtroom hundreds of times alongside their clients.
However, before a victim can be compensated for their pain and suffering, there are certain requirements that must be met to satisfy the laws of what constitutes a medical malpractice claim. As previously stated, medical malpractice is among the most serious claims a patient can make against a doctor, and they must be substantial to the letter of the law before a judge can award just compensation.
Read on for a better understanding of what’s considered medical malpractice in the state of Florida.