XXXX Cast Crucial Vote; Against Allowing Women to Choose Their OB/GYN as Primary Heath Care Providers. In 1999, XXXX cast a crucial vote against the Robb amendment to S.1344, which was an amendment to allow women in group health plans to designate an obstetrician/gynecologist as their primary care physician, and to determine, with their physicians, using generally accepted medical standards, the appropriate length of a hospital stay following a mastectomy, lumpectomy or lymph node dissection for the treatment of breast cancer. It also would allow self-employed individuals to fully deduct the cost of their health insurance on their federal taxes, the cost of which would be offset by an extension of Superfund taxes. [Vote 198, 7/13/99] XXXX Voted Against Providing Access to Emergency Rooms and Specialists. In 1999, XXXX voted to kill the Dorgan amendment to S.1233, which was an early version of the Patients’ Bill of Rights. This was an amendment to guarantee access to emergency rooms, specialists, clinical trials, and prescription drugs. It was an amendment to hold HMOs accountable when its decisions lead to injury or death, and to ensure that doctors, not HMO bureaucrats, make health care decisions. [Vote 182, 6/22/99] XXXX Voted to Limit Protections In Patients’ Bill of Rights. In 1999, XXXX voted for the Lott amendment to S.1233, which was a Republican version of the Patients’ Bill of Rights that did not ensure that doctors, not HMO bureaucrats, make health care decisions, and only covered one-third of those in HMOs, among many other provisions. [Vote 181, 6/22/99] XXXX Voted for Medical Malpractice Reform that Limited Patients Rights. In 1998, XXXX Voted for medical malpractice reform measures that limited rights of injured patients to hold their doctors accountable. [Vote 144, 5/20/98] XXXX Cast Crucial Vote Against Strong Patients’ Bill of Rights. In 1998, XXXX cast crucial voted against a Patients’ Bill of Rights that would generate access to health coverage. [Vote 73, 4/2/98] XXXX Voted to Allow Doctors to Gauge Patients. In 1998, XXXX voted to allow doctors, hospitals and other Medicare providers to charge patients unlimited amounts of money on top of their Medicare reimbursement, allowing doctors to gauge patients. [Vote 53, 4/1/98] 47