[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000-2001, Book III)]
[November 20, 2000]
[Pages 2572-2573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Labor Department Regulations on Private Health Care Plans
November 20, 2000

    Today I am pleased to announce that the Labor Department is issuing 
final regulations requiring private health plans covering 130 million 
Americans to provide a fast and fair internal appeals process for 
patients when coverage has been denied or delayed. Under this new rule, 
for the first time, health plans would be required to make coverage 
decisions quickly--within 72 hours for urgent requests--and to provide 
consumers with meaningful information on their rights and benefits. 
Currently, many health plans do not have the medical expertise to make 
such decisions, and approval of necessary services can take as long as 
300 days.
    Under the strong leadership of Secretary Herman, we are taking an important step towards providing 
Americans the health care protections they need. It is the final 
executive action I can take to provide critical protections to patients

[[Page 2573]]

in private health plans. It builds on my administration's previous 
action to provide critical patient protections to the 85 million 
Americans in Federal health plans. But the only way to give every 
American in every health plan the right to see a specialist, to go to 
the nearest emergency room--not the cheapest--and to hold health care 
plans accountable when they cause harm, is to pass a real, enforceable 
Patients' Bill of Rights. Whether it is this year or next year, Congress 
should come together to pass this long overdue legislation.