Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights

This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's spotlight on front groups and corporate spin.

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

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The Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights (CPPR) is an anti-health reform group that claims to be a "nonpartisan, grassroots coalition of patients, healthcare professionals, advocacy groups, and engaged citizens who are concerned about the current healthcare debate going on in Washington." CPPR is managed by the Republican lobbying firm DCI Group, a grassroots consulting firm that has previously been used by Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds to help form fake "grassroots" smokers' rights groups to help defeat smoking bans. DCI has worked for health insurance companies in the past: In 2002, the American Prospect reported that DCI had been hired by a group called the Health Benefits Coalition, a trade association of for-profit health maintenance organizations (HMOs) who were trying to “thwart congressional action on the patients’ bill of rights.”

DCI Group staffers have acknowledged that they do in fact coordinate PR for the CPPR. CPPR should not be be confused with Conservatives for Patients Rights, a different front group organized by Rick Scott to oppose health care reform. CPPR has been engaged in organizing lobbying efforts to oppose health care reform and publishing op-eds across the country that contain misinformation about the public option.

CPPR seeks to prevent the U.S. Congress from including a “public option” in the health reform legislation.

Financing Right-Wing Groups Through the Center to Protect Patient Rights?

The Coalition to Protect Patient's rights may be the same group as the similarly-named Center to Protect Patient Rights, whose records are stored at the same Glendale, Ariz., address by a woman who describes herself as an employee of DCI Group, a lobbying firm practiced in manufacturing "grassroots" campaigns for the tobacco industry and others that has handled public relations for the Coalition. In 2010, the CPPR made a round of massive donations to some of the most prominent right-wing profit political groups, most of which oppose the Affordable Care Act, higher taxes on the wealthy, or abortion. As a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, the CPPR does not have to disclose its donors, the source of this money. However, it must disclose its donations. The table below lists every organization given money by the CPPR

• American Future Fund $11,685,000
• 60 Plus Association $8,990,000
• Americans for Limited Government $5,585,000
• Americans for Job Security $4,828,000
• Americans for Tax Reform $4,189,000
• Revere America $2,300,000
• Americans for Prosperity $1,924,000
• Center to Protect Patient Rights $1,600,000
• US Health Freedom Coalition $1,430,000
• Susan B Anthony $1,025,000
• Club for Growth $690,000
• Americans United for Life Action $559,000
• The Institute for Liberty $457,000
• American Energy Alliance $250,000
• Freedom Vote $200,000
• Protect Your Vote $100,000
• Hispanic Leadership Fund $47,000
• Americans United for Life $45,000
• Tea Party Patriots $30,000
• Common Sense Issues Coalition $25,000
• Common Sense Issues $10,000
• Concerned Women 4 America $4,500

Sourcewatch resources

• Astroturf
• Grassroots
• Americans for Prosperity
• Patients First