Political Quotes

“today, Senator Olympia Snowe and I are introducing a bill to guarantee that the decision of how long a patient receives care in the hospital is left to the attending physician. Our legislation would require health insurance plans to cover the length of hospital stay for any procedure or illness as determined by the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, to be medically appropriate. The bill is endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Psychological Association. Only a physician taking care of the patient, who understands the patient's history, medical condition and needs, should make the decision as to how much hospital care a person needs. Physicians are trained to evaluate all the unique needs and problems of each individual patient. Every patient's condition varies and the course of their illness also varies. Some patients are fragile or weak. Others do not respond well to general anesthesia. Complications arise. Each patient is a unique individual with varying degrees of health. The American Medical Association, concerned that pre-determined length of stay criteria are 'moving away from scientific, patient- focused principles of care,' resulting in 'quicker and sicker' discharges and poor patient outcomes, has developed patient-based discharge criteria.”