A website launched this week in Oregon to help consumers in disputes with health plans.

The site, MyPatientRights.org, is directed at consumers who are denied coverage, experience delays or are unhappy with decisions by their health insurer.

It lists patient rights, such as to see their personal health records and to keep those private. It lists some of the issues patients might face, such as co-insurance costs, high deductibles and adverse tiering, which involves a company putting all medications for a specific condition into the highest cost bracket.

And it helps consumers file a complaint by showing them where to go for help, providing links and including key phone numbers.

There's a personal perspective aspect to the site as with, with tales from consumers of their problems and how they resolved them.

"As health plans are moving to reduce access to new lifesaving medicines, create one-size-fits-all treatment pathways and restrict access to specialists, we must provide consumers with the help and confidence they need to demand the care they deserve," Liz Helms, president and CEO of the California Chronic Care Coalition said in a release.

The coalition, a collection of consumer health groups, has similar sites in 16 other states, including Washington and California. The Oregon site was the latest installment.

-- Lynne Terry