Talks continue as Bush meets patients' rights leader

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush met privately in the Oval Office Thursday with Georgia Republican Rep. Charlie Norwood, author of the bipartisan patients' bill of rights the White House has steadfastly rejected.

Bush and Norwood met for 30 minutes, a senior administration official told CNN.

The meeting marks a tactical shift for Bush, who until Thursday had sought House passage of a competing patients' bill of rights sponsored by Rep. Ernie Fletcher, R-Kentucky.

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"The most unacceptable thing to me is that there be a piece of legislation that encourages lawsuits and discourages American citizens from being able to afford health insurance," Bush told reporters after the meeting. "I am deeply worried about any legislation that will cause people to have less health insurance. I refuse to accept that legislation. Now having said that, I've been in some serious discussions today. We're trying to find some common ground on getting a bill that I can sign. And I believe we're making progress."

House Speaker House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, said Thursday he was hopeful that a Patients' Bill of Rights could come up for a vote next week, before the House leaves for an August recess.

But the speaker conceded he was waiting to see if the White House would broker a deal with Norwood.

Hastert said he'd given the White House control over the negotiations with Norwood. "I've given them carte blanche to do that," Hastert said. "We need to get a bill the president can sign and we're working with the president to try to find that place."

The president planned to meet with Hastert and other House Republicans on Thursday afternoon.

After the White House meeting, Norwood told CNN "none of this is any good unless we can get a signature, and we're moving, I think, in the right direction."

The meetings continue weeks of dialogue between the White House and Norwood to fashion a compromise. But senior White House officials said Bush, while willing to move in Norwood's direction, must also see movement from Norwood on the key issue of liability.

"There is a growing sense in the White House that an agreement can be reached," the senior official told CNN.

House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, who supports Norwood's version of a Patients' Bill of Rights, said Democrats are also open to a compromise, but the Missourian said they would demand patients have broad access to state and federal courts.

"Let's say somebody lost an arm or died as a result of mistreatment in the system, as the result of a medical decision made by an HMO. You want the person to be able to go to court to be able to get damages for that mistreatment," Gephardt said.

Gephardt chastised the White House for aggressively pursuing moderate Republicans who have long supported the Norwood bill, portending political arguments if Republicans don't pass a bill before the long August recess.

"We are holding on to some very courageous Republican votes," Gephardt said. "And they are standing for what they believe in and they have been doing this for three or four years. I mean, imagine what the administration is asking these Republicans to do. They have voted twice in the House for these responsibilities to be on the HMOs and health insurance companies. And now they're asking them to turn around on their vote? And go home to their constituents and say 'I didn't mean it'? To vote against their values? And what they believe in? I mean it's incredible."

The bills are virtually identical except when it comes to the ability of patients to sue their HMOs. The Norwood bill, which the House passed overwhelmingly in 1999, offers broad rights to sue in state and federal courts in the event of physical harm or death. It is identical to the McCain-Kennedy bill the Senate passed this year, which Bush has vowed to veto.

The Fletcher bill allows patients to sue in state court only if an HMO rejects medical decisions reached by an independent review board brought in to mediate disputes between a patient and HMO. The Fletcher bill also allows suits in federal courts, but the Norwood bill would allow for larger court damages.

Bush and senior White House officials will continue lobbying members in hopes of winning House passage on a bill Bush can accept before Congress recesses.

The senior White House official said timing was less important than a result Bush could sign.

"If it takes a day, a week, a month, big deal," the official said, "the key is to get the job done."

CNN White House Correspondent Major Garrett and Congressional Correspondent Kate Snow contributed to this report.