    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [March 13, 1998]
    [Pages 373-374]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Final Report of the President's Advisory Commission on
    Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry and on
    Establishment of the Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force
    March 13, 1998

        Thank you very much. Mr. Vice President, thank you for your work on this issue and your interest
    in it. I thank Secretary Shalala, Secretary
    Herman, Secretary West, the members of the White House staff who worked on this.
    But especially let me thank the members of the Commission and the
    Executive Director of the Commission, Janet Corrigan. They have done a remarkable citizen service for the
    people of the United States of America, and we're all very grateful to
    them.
        As we approach a new century with all its stunning advances in
    science and technology, we know that many of them will come in medicine
    and health. We must act now to spread these breakthroughs and improve
    the quality of health care for every American. I accept the Commission's
    report. I endorse your recommendations.
        For 5 years we have worked to expand access to quality health care
    for the American people, step by step: health insurance coverage for
    people who move between jobs; expanded health care coverage for millions
    of children; strengthened Medicare with more preventive benefits. Last
    year, as the Vice President said, this Commission recommended a
    Patients' Bill of Rights. Last month I acted to ensure by Executive
    order that one-third of all Americans--those in Medicare, Medicaid,
    veterans health care systems and other Federal plans--enjoy the benefits
    of this Patients' Bill of Rights. Now these protections must be extended
    to all Americans. And in the remaining 68 days of this congressional
    session, Congress must take the next step and make the Patients' Bill of
    Rights the law of the land.
        Now, as you have told America in this report, we must also seize
    this moment of opportunity to improve the quality of health care for all
    our people. For all its strengths, our health care system still is
    plagued by avoidable errors, overused and underused procedures and gaps
    in the quality of care. For example, when hundreds of thousands of
    Americans are needlessly injured while in the hospital, when 18,000
    Americans die of heart attacks that did not have to be fatal, when
    80,000 women undergo unnecessary hysterectomies every year, surely we
    can do better.
        This Commission has drawn a road map for higher quality across
    American health care.

    [[Page 374]]

    Above all, our Nation must develop uniform national standards so that
    health plans can compete on quality, not just cost, and so that health
    care consumers can judge for themselves. This is the best way to assure
    quality health care for all Americans.
        We can take three steps to advance these high health care standards.
    First, health care quality standards should be set at a forum bringing
    together providers, business and labor, consumers, insurers, and
    Government. I've asked the Vice President
    to convene this health care quality forum this June.
        Second, I'm ordering Federal agencies to create a task force to find
    ways to improve quality in the health care systems that we operate. The
    Federal Government must lead the way in lifting health care quality for
    all our people.
        Third, I support this Commission's recommendation to create a
    permanent Health Care Quality Council to set new goals and track our
    progress in meeting those goals. A council should be established by any
    health care quality legislation enacted this year.
        We can make this year a time of real achievement in our mission to
    improve health care for every American. The American health care system
    has been the best in the world in the 20th century. If we press forward
    with medical research, enact a Patients' Bill of Rights, insist on high
    quality everywhere in America, continue to expand quality affordable
    coverage, protect and preserve Medicare and Medicaid, we can make
    American health care the best in the world in the 21st century.
        Now I intend to sign an Executive order to all the relevant agencies
    to make sure they work together to develop the standards you recommend
    for quality health care, first for those whom we reach and hopefully as
    a model for all Americans.
        Again, I thank this Commission. I ask the people and the members of
    the press here present to remember just the single instances I cited
    from the Commission's report of examples where we still have serious
    quality challenges. And I ask you all to rededicate yourself to this
    purpose on this day.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:45 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to his memorandum of February 20 on
    Federal agency compliance with the Patient Bill of Rights.