Total Independence

The Health Rights Hotline's Ability to Put Consumers First

The Health Rights Hotline is an independent program that provides free information and assistance to consumers who have questions or concerns about their health care. Three factors ensure the Health Rights Hotline's total independence:

The Health Rights Hotline is a program of an established consumer advocacy organization.

The Health Rights Hotline is a program of Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC). Since 1956, LSNC has ensured access to legal aid for low income people in 23 northern California counties. In addition to the Health Rights Hotline, LSNC operates an ombudsman program for long-term care residents and a telephone advocacy program for seniors.

Private foundations and the Office of the Patient Advocate fund the Health Rights Hotline.

The Health Rights Hotline receives no funding from health plans. Over its seven year history, four of California's premier health care foundations have provided funding for the Health Rights Hotline. These foundations have provided over $7 million for the program and its evaluation. Currently, the Hotline's primary funder is The California Endowment. The California Office of the Patient Advocate funds the Hotline to educate HMO members about their rights and responsibilities.

• The California Endowment was established in 1996 as a private foundation. It maintains offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno and San Diego and has staff working throughout the state. As the largest private health funder in California, The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well being of the people of California. The mission of The California Endowment is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.
• The Office of the Patient Advocate is an independent office under the California Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency. Established in July 2000, the Office is responsible for educating consumers about their rights and responsibilities as HMO enrollees. The Office also provides tools to consumers that assist them in making educated decisions when choosing an HMO for themselves and/or their families such as a free HMO Guide and an annual Report Card that rates the quality of care provided in California HMO's and medical groups.

Two independent evaluations have found that the Health Rights Hotline effectively serves individual consumers and helps improve the health care system.

The Lewin Group, an internationally recognized health care policy research and management consulting firm and researchers at the University of Southern California evaluated the Hotline in 2000 and 2003, respectively. Both evaluations show that the Hotline is effective at helping consumers resolve their health care problems and has had a positive impact on the health care system.

For more information, please visit our web site
www.hrh.org