AltaMed Patient's Bill of Rights
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AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Patient’s Rights and Responsibilities
If you have any questions about the care or services you receive from AltaMed, ask to speak to the Program Director or Clinic Administrator at this site or call Member Services at 323-889-7838.
You Have The Right To:
1. Receive care without discrimination because of race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, age, mental/physical disability, or your ability to pay;
2. Be treated with courtesy, consideration, dignity and respect;
3. Privacy in receiving your care and with all of your personal needs;
4. Talk about all your health decisions with your doctor without worrying about cost or insurance coverage;
5. Be given information and explanations that you can understand about your treatment;
6. To know about the training of medical providers who care for you;
7. Ask that your family be involved in your care if you would like them to be;
8. Receive information about AltaMed services and providers at the time you enter the program and during the time you are a member;
9. Privacy in handling all of your personal, health, medical and social information. AltaMed can not give out this information to anyone unless you give your written permission, called "written authorization;"
10. Give your written permission, called “written consent”, to AltaMed for any sound, video or film recording of you;
11. Get medically necessary health services, including services to help you avoid disease, as well as treatment and education;
12. Receive a clear explanation of all risks and benefits of taking part in any research study or clinical trial (treatments which test new medication), which includes giving your written consent for participating or refusing. You must provide your written consent to agree to take part in it or refuse;
13. Quickly receive a response to requests for services, including evaluations and referrals to specialists by your primary care physician;
14. Refuse any treatment recommended to you;
15. Make a formal statement of complaint, called a “grievance,” and/or dispute the care provided to you called an “appeal;”
Complaints & appeals can be sent to:
AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Member Services Department
500 Citadel Drive, Suite 490
Los Angeles, CA 90040
Tel 323-889-7838
16. Get a second opinion from another doctor upon your request;
17. Receive help in putting your wishes in writing about your health care and the decisions you’d like made for you if you cannot speak for yourself. This is called an “advance directive;”
18. Be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse;
19. Have your pain appropriately treated and managed;
20. Receive clear information in order to understand the forms you need to sign;
21. Get emergency care if you feel you need it;
22. Look at your health records and give your doctor a written comment if you feel something is missing or wrong;
23. Receive information in a way that doesn’t make you feel different because of your culture or language and to have it read out loud if you are blind or have trouble reading; and
24. Right to make suggestions about these Patient Rights and Responsibilities;
You Have The Responsibility To:
1. Tell us about past illnesses and give correct information about hospital stays, medications, and other things about your health;
2. Cooperate with your health care providers;
3. Follow instructions about your care and let your provider know if you cannot follow them;
4. Be respectful of AltaMed staff and property;
5. Immediately let AltaMed know about changes in your address, participation, and financial status;
6. Use AltaMed’s complaint and grievance system so we can respond better to your concerns. Complaints & appeals can be sent to:
AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Member Services Department
500 Citadel Drive, Suite 490
Los Angeles, CA 90040
Tel 323-889-7838
7. To understand your health problems and help set goals that both you and your provider agree on as much as possible;
AltaMed promises to give you the best service possible and we want to give you the chance to talk openly about your care with us. If you have a concern or need help, we would like you to call our Member Services Department at 323-889-7838.
Our promise to you includes being a part of a national approval process sponsored by The Joint Commission.
The Joint Commission is an outside organization lead by a group of health workers that includes doctors, nurses, and consumers. This group sets the standards for health care quality and service in the United States.
The Joint Commission conducts an unannounced survey of AltaMed. The purpose of the survey is to see how well AltaMed follows national Joint Commission Standards. The survey results will be used to judge whether the Commission should approve AltaMed.
If, after talking with the Program Directors or Clinic Administrators, you have any unanswered questions or concerns about the care or services you have received at one of the AltaMed service sites, please contact the Joint Commission.
Division of Accreditation Operations
Office of Quality Monitoring
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Il 60181
630-792-5636 fax
Or you may call The Joint Commission directly at 1-800-994-6610.
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