[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 16 (Thursday, February 26, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BILL OF RIGHTS FOR HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS

  (Mr. WYNN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for managed care reform, 
sometimes known as the Patient's Bill of Rights.
  The President is correct, we need to protect the consumers of health 
care services. Today, millions of Americans have moved into managed 
care. It is fundamentally a good system, but there are problems. A 
recent California study showed that 42 percent of the people who have 
managed care have encountered problems with their service.
  How can we correct this with a bill of rights? It would ensure that 
patients are informed of their health care options. It would ensure 
that they get the right doctor for the right type of care. It would 
ensure that they get access to emergency rooms when they need it. It 
would ensure that they are presented with all of their health care 
options, regardless of cost. It would ensure that doctors make 
decisions, not medical care bureaucrats. And it would keep patients' 
medical records confidential.
  Mr. Speaker, these are official rights for every health care 
consumer. We ought to pass this law. Unfortunately, the Republican 
leadership is attempting to block our Health Care Consumers Bill of 
Rights. That is not fair. We need to move toward an intelligent bill of 
rights for health care consumers.

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