    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [April 22, 1998]
    [Page 601]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 601]]

    Statement on the Kaiser Family Foundation Report on the Patients' Bill
    of Rights
    April 22, 1998

        Today the Kaiser Family Foundation released a new report that
    confirms our longstanding belief that the cost of the Quality
    Commission's Patients' Bill of Rights, which I have endorsed, is modest
    and well worth the protections it would provide. By affirming the
    Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) estimates, the Kaiser report
    convincingly rebuts the scare tactics that some have used to undermine
    bipartisan efforts in the Congress to pass a Patients' Bill of Rights
    this year.
        Many Americans today lack the protections necessary to ensure high
    quality health care. They may not be able to see the specialists they
    need or to get emergency care wherever and whenever a medical emergency
    arises. They may not be able to talk freely with doctors and nurses
    about all the medical options available, not only the cheapest. They may
    have no place to go to present grievances about their health care. The
    Quality Commission's Patients' Bill of Rights guarantees Americans these
    and other commonsense protections.
        The Kaiser report reaffirms recent estimates by the CBO that these
    protections would increase health insurance premiums less than one
    percent (less than $3 per family per month). The improvement in the
    quality of health care that will result from these protections is more
    than worth the very modest premium increases projected by both Kaiser
    and CBO.
        This report again shows the utter groundlessness of claims that a
    Patients' Bill of Rights will significantly increase health care costs.
    With this new information, there is no excuse left for inaction. I
    therefore call on Congress again to send me legislation that gives
    Americans the health care protections they need and deserve. I look
    forward to working with Members on both sides of the aisle to ensure
    that we pass a strong Patients' Bill of Rights this year.