Press Release by Congresswoman Pelosi
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
President Clinton's Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights
July 16, 1998
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today joined with President Clinton and her Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate in support of the Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights. "The Democratic plan represents real reform to the nation's managed care system, restoring the priority of the patient-doctor relationship and putting a patient's health care in the hands of a MD not a CPA," Pelosi said.
Nine months after President Clinton called for a strong enforceable, bipartisan patients' bill of rights, the Republicans have responded with a partisan proposal that places the interests of insurers far above the needs of patients.
The Democratic plan is better:
- The Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights would cover nearly 150 million Americans. The Republican plan would apply only to self insured plans, typically held by large corporations, which cover about 48 million people.
- The Democratic plan is enforceable, giving patients a recourse should their insurance provider not act in their best interest. The Republican plan doesn't hold insurance companies responsible for their actions denying patients the care they need. Republicans protect the health insurance companies' special interest loophole which absolves them of responsibility for their actions.
- The Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights allows for access to ob/gyn for all women or emergency room coverage for all patients. The Republican plan does not.
- The Democratic plan would require health plans to pay for hospital stays of at least 48 hours for mastectomies. The House Republican plan would not.
- The Republican plan would expand medical savings accounts, special tax free accounts for medical care, which generally benefit only the healthiest and wealthiest patients.
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