Patient Advocacy

Advocating for Patient Safety: Dr. Teitelbaum's Legislative Efforts

The state and federal governments, as well as medical boards, make or enforce laws of great significance to patient safety. Dr. Teitelbaum has been a stalwart of lobbying in his state legislature, in Congress, and at the FDA on behalf of plastic surgery patients. These activities have included:

• Encouraging Congress to pass the "Children with Deformities Act," which would mandate insurance companies provide coverage for children with birth defects;
• Requiring dental insurance plans to cover orthodontic treatment for the terrible dental problems in children with cleft lips and palates;
• Requiring direct physician oversight of medi-spas treating patients with lasers;
• Mandating doctors disclose their education and board certification;
• Limiting doctors who hold board certification in "bogus" boards—boards that do not require proper education and training—from advertising to the public that they are actually "board certified."
• Protecting patients from dentists wishing to perform cosmetic surgery;
• Testifying in front of the FDA to allow patients a wider choice of better breast implants.