Taking away your patients' rights, one bill at a time
Congress Watch May 1, 2006 It’s spring time in Washington, which means you can count on two
things: cherry blossoms and new attempts by Congress to take away
patients’ rights. This year, the Senate Republican leadership has dubbed
these efforts “Health Week,” scheduled for early May. But you can be sure
there’ll be nothing “healthy” about it.
Meanwhile, the bill has no provision that would actually rein
in out-of-control medical malpractice insurance rates, even for
an industry that saw record profits in 2005, despite the devastation
caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.), not
to be outdone, will introduce comparable legislation with identical caps,
but that adds discrimination to the mix by cutting off only the rights of
women and babies hurt by negligent obstetrical services. Click here to return to our homepage
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