WASHINGTON — President Clinton ordered the Labor Department on Saturday to quickly ensure a "fair and unbiased" appeals process for people denied or delayed coverage under private health insurance plans.
But he said his action does not go far enough and it is up to Congress to provide more health-care protections and up to voters to make sure Congress acts.
"The only way to do those things is to pass a real, enforceable patients' bill of rights," Clinton announced in his weekly radio address. "The American people can make sure that will happen by voting" for Democrats in Tuesday's presidential and congressional elections.
Clinton instructed Labor Secretary Alexis Herman to release final internal appeals and consumer information regulations within two weeks.
The White House said that under current law, health plans making decisions on coverage "often do not have medical expertise to make such decisions" and that appeals of adverse actions can take as long as 300 days.
"Countless patients have been harmed by inappropriate delays and denials of coverage," a White House statement said.
It said the new regulation will set up a fair process for reviewing medical benefits, require timely decisions by insurance companies and direct health plans to advise patients of their rights to appeal.
The action will apply to the 130 million workers and family members belonging to private, employer-sponsored Employee Retirement Income Security Act health plans.
"In the face of congressional inaction, the president has extended many consumer protections through executive action to the 85 million Americans who get their health care through federal plans," the White House statement said, listing Medicare and Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan and Defense Department and Veterans Administration health plans.
"Today represents the latest administration action to expand patient protections," the White House statement said.
In response, GOP Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania said presidential nominee George W. Bush is ready to usher in the "New Republican" era, with tolerance, public trust and diversity as its core values.
If given the chance, Ridge said, Bush can overcome the "partisanship that has ruled Pennsylvania Avenue" during the Clinton administration.
Clinton made clear his belief that voters should support Gore and Democrats if they do not want to see the anticipated federal budget surplus spent on big tax cuts for the rich.
Voters, he said, will have the chance to weigh in on issues left unresolved by the Republican-controlled Congress. He cited initiatives to build new schools, reduce class sizes, improve teacher quality, end racial profiling and address hate crimes.
Congress, in recess until Nov. 14, will return in a lame-duck session to deal with spending bills not yet completed for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.
It was friendly turf in California, but not as friendly in New York. There, a few motorists stuck in traffic waiting for his motorcade to pass waved the campaign placards of Republican Rep. Rick Lazio who is opposing Mrs. Clinton in her bid for the Senate.