[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]




          MANAGED CARE REFORM SHOULD OCCUR NOW, NOT NEXT YEAR

  (Mr. GREEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, the need for managed health care reform is 
growing every day. We hear numerous complaints from our constituents 
and concerns about managed care and how it limits their ability to make 
medical decisions on their own.
  This coming Monday, March 2, is a special day. One, it is also Texas 
Independence Day, but also we are holding a town hall meeting in 
Houston, Texas, to talk about managed care reform and to hear from the 
constituents in my home district. It will be at Houston Community 
College Southeast from 1:00 to 4:00.
  We need to take action now after hearing from our constituents on 
solving the problems of managed care. A patient deserves a managed care 
plan that meets their needs, but also provides quality health care at 
an affordable rate. A patient's bill of rights will ensure that 
providers, not insurance companies, make medical decisions for 
patients.
  We also need to ensure that patients receive high quality health care 
by guaranteeing their access to specialists, guaranteeing their ability 
to go to the emergency room without preclearance, and participation in 
medical decisions about their conditions.
  We need patients to have these options now, not wait until next year.

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