A Bill of Rights for the rest of us.

Fifteen years ago a Patient’s Bill of Rights was introduced in the United States Congress, and just yesterday the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury issued regulations for a new Patient’s Bill of Rights under the Affordable Care Act.

So what does that mean for every American? It means all of us — and particularly those of us with pre-existing conditions — can truly gain coverage and actually keep it. And that makes me very happy.

Some other incredible bullet points include:
—keeping insurers from setting annual or lifetime limits on your coverage
—eliminating the need for a referral to see an ob-gyn (this is huge for women)
—keeping insurance companies from requiring “prior approval” before you seek emergency care at a hospital outside your plan’s network

Check out Dr. Michael Bihari and HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ webchat with answers to questions from the About.com community at WhiteHouse.gov.