The Foundation welcomes its new executive director, Jeff Raymond.

Jeff comes to the Foundation from The Oklahoman — the state’s largest newspaper — where he covered health care and education. He previously covered city government in Brownsville, Texas; the South Padre Island, Texas, area; and county government in the Texas Hill Country community of Kerrville.

Jeff hopes to make the Foundation a leading voice for consumer and patient issues in the state and nationwide through stories in the media, alerts and a public service campaign.

Jeff would like to hear from you about your concerns, experiences and suggestions. He can be reached at by clicking here or (800) 994-6025.

For more information about Jeff, click here.

More End-of-Life Options

Although 2006 changes to state law give patients more control over end-of-life care, many patients and doctors didn’t know the changes had been enacted.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which administers the state Medicaid program; the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office; the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services earlier this month sent a letter to health care providers explaining the changes.

These are important and welcomed initiatives which should promote consumer education and enhance medical decision-making by patients in Oklahoma, said Marguerite Chapman, director of the University of Tulsa’s health law program and Foundation Board of Advisors Member.

Chapman, whose law review article on the rights of the terminally ill was cited by former Chief Justice William Rehnquist in the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark “Cruzan” decision, said "the 2006 legislative changes to the Oklahoma advance directive laws significantly enhanced the options of patients regarding health care decision-making when they no longer have capacity to speak for themselves.”

Click Here to Read the Full Release

See this story in the Muskogee Phoenix newspaper

Tort reform amounts to racial discrimination, according to a new report from the Center for Justice & Democracy.

The nonprofit, consumer rights organization published The Racial Implication of Tort Reform in the most recent edition of the Washington University Journal of Law & Policy.

The article focuses on laws that limit the rights of patients injured by malpractice; caps on compensation; class action restrictions; business groups’ attacks on jurors and laws that weaken the ability of those injured by racial violence to sue hate groups.

Racial disparities in access to health care facilities, technologies, treatments and insurance mean limits on compensation or access to juries affects minorities most, the authors wrote.

Read the article by CLICKING HERE

The Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees

 It seems like airlines are adding new fees weekly for various services that used to be free. It is hard to keep track of who is charging what, so Smarter Travel put together this handy fee comparison chart. [pdf]. Keep in mind that some announced fees are not yet in effect.

Click here for the comparison chart

The Oklahoma Foundation for Consumer and Patient Rights takes on big industries and the politicians every day in legislatures, the courts and in the media. We also provide a number of resources for consumers to make informed decisions in the marketplace and as patients. The Foundation for Consumer and Patient Rights is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We rely upon the support of people like you.

If you see the value in our research, education and advocacy, please make a contribution today. You can also donate by mail making a check payable to OKFCPR and mailing to PO Box 12714, Oklahoma City, OK 73157.

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