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

To: calgal who wrote (165423)	7/28/2001 2:50:06 AM
From: calgal	Respond to of 769667

Rx For A Deal? White House Seems Willing To Compromise On Patients' Rights House GOP Leaders Stalled Vote To Block Version Bush Opposes President Now Seems Willing To Allow Some Suits In State Court WASHINGTON, July 27, 2001 CBS (CBS) Short of the votes needed to defeat the far-reaching patients' bill of rights he opposes, President Bush offered concessions on Thursday that would open the door to lawsuits against health maintenance organizations in state court while protecting big employers. Aides said Mr. Bush presented the offer to Republican Rep. Charles Norwood of Georgia, the bill's chief sponsor, in a bid to end the deadlock in the House of Representatives over the legislation, which would expand the rights of patients to sue health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and insurance companies over treatment decisions that result in injury or death. Norwood welcomed Mr. Bush's proposals, and House Republican leaders said they hoped to schedule the patients' rights debate for next week. A vote was supposed to occur this week, but the GOP leadership delayed it to avoid letting Norwood's version, which they oppose, pass. Intense negotiations on the bill took place Thursday, with House GOP leaders seeking either to get the votes to defeat a version they oppose or draft a compromise version, reports CBS News Correspondent Bob Fuss. Several of Norwood's allies said the White House did not go far enough in those talks and needed to provide more details. "It has serious flaws," said North Carolina Democratic Sen. John Edwards, a key sponsor of the patients' bill of rights approved by the Senate in June. Mr. Bush feels Norwood's measure would drive up health-care costs and increase the number of uninsured by permitting jury awards of up to $5 million in federal court and unlimited damages under state law. He has promised to veto it. The president has thrown his support behind a bill shepherded by Rep. Ernie Fletcher, R-Ky., whose plan would cap non-economic damages in federal court at $500,000 and give patients a limited right to sue in state court if an HMO or insurer fails to abide by the decision of a medical review board. Both versions of the legislation would offer millions of Americans new protections such as the right to emergency room care, access to specialists, minimum hospital stays for mastectomies and access to government-run clinical trials. They differ most prominently in the provisions granting patients the right to sue HMOs for denial of care. The Democratic-backed bill provides easier access to the courts. cbsnews.com