McCain Says Patients’ Rights Negotiations Ongoing
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Oct. 16 said that "discussions continue" over how to move forward with patients' rights legislation, despite Congress' focus on the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, CongressDaily/AM reports. McCain said that his staff and Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-Mass.) staff are "still talking" with the White House about the legislation. He added, "I think there is a genuine desire on the part of the White House to pass" a patients' rights bill. The House in August passed a bill (HR 2563) favored by Bush. In June, the Senate passed a bill (S 1052) whose stricter liability provisions have "provoked strong opposition" from insurers and business groups, CongressDaily/AM reports (CongressDaily/AM, 10/17). Lawmakers have yet to resolve the differences between the House and Senate bills (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/4).
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