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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (155217)	6/23/2001 1:01:36 AM
From: calgal	Respond to of 769670

Bush, Dems at Odds Over Health Care Regulation Friday, June 22, 2001 WASHINGTON — Beating back what they called a Republican ploy to sink their patients' bill of rights, Senate Democrats pledged Friday to keep the legislation alive and denounced a presidential veto threat. In the first test of their bill, the new Democratic majority defeated a GOP effort to amend it to give the self-employed health-insurance tax breaks a year ahead of schedule. Democrats claimed victory for their position when the Senate overwhelmingly agreed that HMOs should help seriously ill patients enrolled in clinical trials. "This is the difference between a patients' bill of rights and a patients' bill of suggestions," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. He said Friday he wants the Senate to wrap up its version of the bill in time for Senators to go on their July Fourth break, but added he would call extra sessions if lawmakers have not made progress on it. Democrats dismissed the tax amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark, as a tactic to kill the bill. The amendment conflicted with the constitutional requirement that tax measures originate in the House and could also trigger a provision requiring 60 votes for its passage, Democrats said. The 52-45 majority on the vote was helped in the narrowly divided Senate by two Republicans -- Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. "Let's really get serious about negotiations," McCain said afterward. "This debate is about making sure patients get the protections they deserve," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. Democrats want to guarantee patients can get emergency room visits, specialty doctors and clinical trials without time-consuming plan approvals. Republican opponents charge the bill encourages injured patients to sue, rather than work out disputes through a professional appeals system. President Bush on Thursday issued a formal veto threat, saying the bill of rights would encourage costly lawsuits and drive up the cost of health insurance. The Bush administration has endorsed a rival Senate bill that limits cases to federal court. Kennedy said Thursday Bush's stance puts him in opposition to groups representing patients, doctors and nurses who support the bill: "The president should stand with them and not with HMOs and insurance companies." He said Friday that Democrats could support changing the bill further to protect employers from lawsuits when they provided a patients' health insurance, but were not part of a decision that caused the employee harm or death. In the days ahead, Republicans are expected to oppose the Democrats on issues such as: --Permitting patients to sue before they finish an appeal of an HMO decision on medical treatment; --Granting patients unlimited damages in states that don't already limit jury awards The GOP-led House is not expected to work on patients' rights until next month, said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. However, leaders released a draft Thursday that accepts a new right to sue HMOs in state court. It would apply only in cases in which the insurance companies refused to abide by the results of an outside appeal of a denial for service. "The White House might have to look at what we are doing." Hastert told reporters Thursday. "That might be the best boat they have going out of the harbor here." foxnews.com