THE WHITE HOUSE AT WORK



Monday, August 10, 1998

PRESIDENT CLINTON:
FIGHTING FOR A PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS

When the bottom line becomes more important than patients' lives, when families have nowhere to turn when their loved ones are harmed by health care plans' bad decisions, when specialist care is denied and emergency care is not covered even when they are plainly needed and recommended by physicians, we must act. Whether in managed care or traditional care, every single American deserves quality care.

President Bill Clinton
August 10, 1998

Today, President Clinton travels to Louisville, Kentucky and delivers a speech on Patients' Bill of Rights. The President outlines his disagreements with Congressional Republican leadership's patients' bill or rights proposals, and announces his commitment to veto any legislation that does not adequately provide patient protections. The President also announces the release of an Office of Personnel Management regulation prohibiting gag rules by the 350 insurance companies who participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and serve 9 million federal employees and their families.

President Clinton Is Working To Ensure Basic Health Care Protections. Over nine months ago, President Clinton called on Congress to pass strong enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights legislation. The President has outlined protections he supports, including:

The President Is Standing With Working Families Against Proposals that Are More Loophole Than Patient Protection. Current proposals by the Republican leadership in Congress are inadequate, they have more loopholes than protections. If Congress sends such flawed legislation to the President, he will veto it. The Republican leadership proposals:

A New Protection For Federal Employees. While the Republican leadership delays passing strong patient protections, the President is implementing the Patients' Bill of Rights for the 85 million Americans in federal health plans. Today, the President is announcing the release of a new regulation by the Office of Personnel Management prohibiting the 350 plans participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) from using gag clauses. This regulation will help ensure that health professionals can discuss all medical treatment options with their patients.



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