[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 47 (Monday, November 27, 2000)]
[Page 2918]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 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.