[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 18, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1240
 
  HMO CLAIMANTS ARE DENIED BENEFITS WHILE EXECUTIVES GET MILLIONS IN 
                          SALARIES AND BONUSES

  (Ms. ESHOO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported 
that a Northern California for-profit HMO CEO received more than $4.3 
million in salary and bonuses in 1 year, excluding stock options.
  Foundation Health's CEO made more money than the CEO's of Chevron, 
Bank of America, or Hewlett-Packard.
  In the same year, this HMO denied requests from several of its 
members for a $120,000 experimental bone marrow transplant to treat 
breast cancer.
  Only after suing did one of the patients finally receive treatment 
and beat cancer.
  This case demonstrates how lopsided, unfair, and sick the entire 
system is.
  Paying seven figure salaries while providers duck payment of life-
saving treatments cannot be defended.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe our health care system must be competitive. 
But it must also be cost efficient. And most importantly, Mr. Speaker, 
its purpose must be to make Americans healthy--not a few HMO executives 
wealthy.

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