UPDATE - 7/30/2001

DELAY ON PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS

This gives you time in the next month to contact Members during Town Halls and other meetings in your District.

We'll have more information and points for you soon.

Kathryn Serkes

Contact:

Help Stop the AMA- KENNEDY-MCCAIN Senate �Bill of Goods�
From Passing in the House

The House of Representatives will probably vote as early as this week on the competing Patients� Bill of Rights bills.

The AMA is pulling out the stops to push the Gaske-Dingell-Norwood version of the Kennedy-McCain bill passed by the Senate last month.

The alternative is the bi-partisan �Patient�s Bill of Rights Act of 2001� introduced by Ernie Fletcher, M.D. of Kentucky. If the Fletcher Bill passes, the House and Senate bills will then go to conference committee, where there will be some room for changes. Otherwise, the House will be passing the AMA-Kennedy-McCain bill with Ganske�s name stuck on it, and it�s a done deal. All that�s left is to hope for the President�s veto.

It is crucial that if any bill passes, it is NOT �Ganske-Dingell-Norwood.�

CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TODAY!!

Here are some points to make:

1. Tell him to vote for Dr. Fletcher�s bi-partisan �Patients� Bill of Rights Act of 2001� over Ganske-Dingell-Norwood. Tell him not to let the Senate shove its bad bill through the House.

2. If you are a doctor, be sure to identify yourself as such, and mention how many patients you represent.

3. The AMA position DOES NOT represent all doctors, and certainly DOES NOT represent the best interests of patients.

HOW TO REACH YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS

EMAIL -- If you don�t know the address click here.

OR -- you can send the AMA a message at the same time. Click here to link directly to the AMA grassroots action page.

PHONE -- The Congressional Switchboard number is: (202) 224-3121

ACT TODAY OR IT MAY BE OUR LAST CHANCE. A VOTE IS PREDICTED THIS WEEK.

http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20010627.atc.03.ram

Other Links

• Listen to Dr. Jane Orient on NPR's All Things Considered (Real Player Required)- 6/27/2001
• More Information on Fletcher Bill - 7/25/2001
• Text of Ganske - Dingell - Norwood Patients' Rights Bill - 7/24/2001
• Text of Fletcher Patients' Rights Bill - 7/24/2001
• Fletcher Patients' Rights Bill Attracts Two New Backers - 7/20/2001
• Norwood, Dingell, Ganske to Introduce New House Patients' Rights Bill - 7/19/2001
• July 12th POBR Action Alert - 7/12/2001
• "Politics of the Patients� Bill of Rights" by Audrey Mullen - 7/11/2001
• Patient Power Alert - Plain Talk on the "Patient Protection Act" - 7/11/2001
• Doctors Tell McCain, "Tell the Truth About the "Patients' Bill of Rights" - 6/21/2001
• Medicine Men Column: Bill of Rights Actually Lawyer Bill of Fights
• The McKennedy Plan: the Patients' Bill of Goods - 6/24/2001
• AAPS Letter to Senator McCain - 6/21/2001
• AAPS Patients Bill of Rights
• Which Plan Would You Choose - Comparison Between MSAs and the Present System of Insurance
• Other "Patient Protection" Information
• Comment on this topic