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American Morning

Patients Bill of Rights: Debate Continues on Capitol Hill

Aired June 29, 2001 - 10:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And speaking of hospitals and health issues, debate is taking place this hour on your rights as a patient. The Senate is taking up an HMO reform bill. The legislation is backed by the Democrats, but Republicans are finding this one a bitter pill to swallow, if you will.

Our Congressional correspondent Kate Snow has the latest for us. She joins us now from Capitol Hill -- Hi, Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning, Leon.

Well, the bill's sponsors are hoping that they're going to be able to finish up work on this bill by late tonight. They're still hopeful of that. But Republicans not so sure. There are a number of changes that they are pushing for on the floor of the Senate. What they have just done within the past hour, Leon, the Senate overwhelmingly passed one amendment by Republican Senator Rick Santorum. That amendment provides that doctors must do everything they can to protect the life of a newborn infant regardless of defects or the condition of that infant when it's born.

Shortly after that, the Senate voted again to limit class action suits, those are suits by multiple plaintiffs. They voted on a compromise to limit class action suits so that only one HMO could be sued at any one time by a group.

What are the outstanding issues? Well, some of the biggest sticking points are still outstanding, Republicans considering where lawsuits can be filed. They may offer an amendment to talk about which courts can be, people can seek relief in. How quickly can disputes be brought to court, what patient awards should be available, how much money should a patient be able to get and what should the limit be. And finally, they're also talking about lawyers' fees and potentially coming up with a compromise to limit the amount of money that when a person wins a suit against an HMO, their lawyer takes away.

Republicans tell me that they have anywhere from 10 to 24 more amendments, Leon, to take care of. They're not clear whether they'll push for all of those changes or not, but the politics of trying to get this all done may be running up against the clock a little bit, one Republican aide telling us yesterday that many agree for the -- on the need to try to air some of these things out for a full review, but that's running up against the need to be with their families for the Fourth of July -- Leon?

HARRIS: Well, is there any chance this whole process could collapse under its own weight with all these different amendments that are being discussed right now?

SNOW: That's not likely, Leon, and here's why. Because this whole week we've been looking at amendments. Republicans have been trying to make changes and in most cases those amendments have failed and then they've come back with some kind of compromise. So the chances are, both sides think, and even Republicans conceding now that the Democrats will probably win this one. They'll get a bill through. It's what it's going to look like precisely that's up in the air and whether President Bush will be willing to sign it.

HARRIS: All right, Kate Snow on Capitol Hill, thanks much for straightening all that out. We'll talk with you later on.

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