[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 20 (Monday, May 21, 2001)]
[Page 751]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Patients' Bill of Rights Legislation

May 15, 2001

    The bipartisan proposal introduced today by Senators Frist, Breaux, 
and Jeffords makes important progress in our efforts to provide patients 
with a strong and effective Patients' Bill of Rights.
    This bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights reflects the principles I 
laid out earlier this year. It provides strong patient protections for 
all Americans, ensures that doctors and patients make medical decisions, 
and holds health plans accountable by providing patients with meaningful 
remedies when they have been wrongly denied medical care. The bill also 
protects employers and their employees from unnecessary litigation that 
would increase health care premiums and force too many Americans to do 
without health insurance.
    Congress has been long divided over this issue. I applaud Senators 
Frist, Breaux, and Jeffords and the many patient and provider groups 
working with them for finding a commonsense compromise.
    I am similarly encouraged by the bipartisan discussions on this 
issue between the administration and Speaker Hastert and other House 
leaders. These efforts, combined with the introduction of this 
bipartisan bill in the Senate, give me great hope that the Congress will 
send a good Patients' Bill of Rights to my desk this year.