A Charge To Keep: on Health Care


Against mandates not related to patient care

Bush vetoed the Texas Patient Protection Act despite protests because the "bill had a host of mandates and regulations not directly related to patient care."
Source: "A Charge to Keep", p.189-195 Dec 9, 1999

Strengthen Medicare through choice and other options

Medicare should be strengthened by providing more choice and more private sector alternatives for the elderly, including plans that offer coverage for prescription drugs. I support medical savings accounts and patient protections in federal health care plans similar to the ones I signed in Texas. I would not, however, support allowing the federal government to supersede the health reforms already enacted by states such as mine.
Source: "A Charge to Keep", p.238 Dec 9, 1999

Bush signed Texas' version of Patient Bill of Rights

Thanks to the laws I signed, in Texas. HMOs are forbidden to enact "gag clauses" that discourage doctors from discussing treatment options, insurance must pay for hospital emergency care, women can go directly to their gynecologist. Patients with lengthy, ongoing illnesses cannot be required to change doctors, and if cancer patients need treatment that is not provided within their. network, their insurance must refer them to specialty hospitals and pay for that care.
Source: "A Charge to Keep", p.195 Dec 9, 1999

  • The above quotations are from A Charge To Keep: My Journey to the White House, by George W. Bush.
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Page last updated: Aug 15, 2024