WASHINGTON, DC -- Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today on the introduction of a bipartisan health care reform measure:

            “I commend the work of Congressman Ernie Fletcher (R-KY) in helping craft a bipartisan bill that protects patients and holds HMOs accountable for medical decisions, while rejecting the path of unlimited, frivolous lawsuits that will only benefit trial lawyers, not enhance patient care. The bill introduced today meets President Bush’s principles on health care, and it is a bill he will sign into law.”

            “Americans don’t want unlimited lawsuits; they want assurances that patients will get the care they need when they need it. This requires a balanced approach built on sound public policy - an approach that puts patient care before politics and special-interest priorities. The Ganske-Dingell bill would subject employers, including many small businesses that voluntarily provide health coverage to their employees, to new lawsuits with no limits on damages or protection from frivolous lawsuits.”

            “Approximately 129 million Americans -- nearly 80 percent of all workers in the United States -- get their health coverage through their workplace. Another 43 million have no health coverage at all. Reducing this number should be a primary goal of a true patients’ rights plan. The Fletcher bill will offer millions of uninsured Americans increased access to affordable health coverage by making it easier for small employers to offer more benefits as well as creating new options that expand consumer choice, while protecting employers from unlimited lawsuits.”

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