Democrats: States show patients' rights bill can work

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As a presidential veto of patients' rights legislation looms, Democrats used their Saturday radio address to demonstrate that state laws similar to the federal measure passed by the Senate Friday are working.

West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise outlined his state's law which, like the measure passed Friday by a 59-36 vote in the Senate, allows patients to sue HMOs for negligence.

"The experience of states with similar laws -- including Texas and California -- proves that you can hold HMOs accountable without premiums skyrocketing, court dockets being filled up or people losing their health coverage," Wise said.

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President Bush said he will veto the Senate-passed bill sponsored by maverick Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, along with Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, and John Edwards, D-North Carolina.

"The Senate failed ... to address the danger that excessive, unlimited litigation in state courts would drive up premium costs and cause many American families to lose their health insurance. I could not in good conscience sign this bill because it puts the interests of trial lawyers before the interest of patients," Bush said in a statement.

Wise called such rhetoric "outlandish scare tactics."

"Despite what some critics are saying, the McCain-Edwards bill ... would strengthen, not weaken, the laws that have already been passed by states like West Virginia," he said.

Supporters now turn their sights on the House, where Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., has already crafted a compromise bill that Bush supports.

Democrats say the House Republican bill does not go far enough to give patients legal recourse against harmful medical decisions.

But Senate Democrats remained hopeful that they will be able to bridge the differences so that Bush will sign a bill.