[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 55 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E778-E779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 3605, ``THE PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS ACT''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 6, 1998

  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, today I join with Representatives John 
Dingell and Greg Ganske, Leader Dick Gephardt, Leader Tom Daschle, 
Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Barbara Boxer, and the many patient and 
health groups, in support of H.R. 3605, the Patients' Bill of Rights 
Act. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Congressman Dingell for his 
strong

[[Page E779]]

and sure leadership on this issue; Mr. Dingell got involved early, 
pulled the key players together and produced an excellent bill which 
will, in fact, protect patients once enacted. I want to say a special 
word of thanks to Representative Greg Ganske, with whom I have been 
working closely for some time on the Patient Right to Know Act (H.R. 
586) which would ban gag clauses from managed care plans. His power of 
persuasion over some of his Republican colleagues to join him in co-
sponsoring the Patients' Bill of Rights Act will be very helpful in 
passing a managed care reform bill this year.
  Representative Ganske and I have been involved for quite some time in 
putting together a bill which would prohibit managed care plans from 
restricting the medical communications between doctors and patients 
based on what the plan did and did not cover. Our bill was based on a 
very simple premise: when you're a patient, What you don't know can 
hurt you. And our anti-gag clause bill, which now has 300 co-sponsors, 
is included in the Patients' Bill of Rights Act.
  The Patients' Bill of rights Act expands on that principle. It says: 
What you don't know and don't have access to and aren't protected from 
can hurt you.
  That's why the Patients' Bill of Rights Act makes it possible for 
people to have some choice of plans, access to specialty and emergency 
care, and direct access to OB/GYN care and services for women.
  That's why the Patients' Bill of Rights Act makes it possible for 
patients to get more information about their health plans, and have 
greater faith that the confidentiality of their medical records will be 
protected.
  And that's why the Patients' Bill of Rights Act recognizes that 
patients are also health care consumers and establishes strong consumer 
protection standards, internal and external grievance procedures, and 
measures which respect and protect the provider-patient relationship.
  When President Clinton delivered his State of the Union speech on 
January 27--99 days ago--one of the single most sustained waves of 
applause followed the president's call to action for Congress: to pass 
a consumer bill of rights and responsibilities for America's patients. 
Well, tomorrow, we will hit Day 100 of total inaction. The American 
people are demanding that Congress fill their managed care reform 
prescription--the Republican leadership should fill that prescription 
with the Patients' Bill of Rights Act.
  Once again, I'd like to thank Congressman Dingell, Senator Kennedy, 
our Leaders and all of my colleagues who are working so hard to move 
this legislation forward.

                          ____________________