[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 85 (Thursday, June 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5299-H5300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 GOP MANAGED CARE PROPOSAL FALLS SHORT

  (Mr. GREEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN. Madam Speaker, it took months of drafting and redrafting 
and threats and rejection, but last night we got our first look at the 
Republican managed care proposal.
  While the final details will not be worked out for another month, the 
rough draft is not very promising. Most of the outlined provisions in 
the bill are too weak to help people like in the story in yesterday's 
Washington Post.
  It was a father of five with liver cancer. He already had access to 
an appeals process that he actually won. Unfortunately for him, it took 
5 months for his doctor to be told that he needed a liver transplant 
and the HMO was ordered to pay for it. But, Madam Speaker, he died 
right after they were given that permission.
  What he needed was a timely appeals process and an HMO knowing that 
they would be responsible for the denial of that coverage.
  The Republican bill would not help the Houston police officer who, 
after 30 years of service and not missing a day for illness, was 
diagnosed with cancer and it took him months to get to a specialist. 
The proposal would be just

[[Page H5300]]

about as effective as using a Band-Aid for a deep flesh wound.
  The provisions in the GOP bill would do nothing to stop HMOs from 
making major decisions based on profits instead of patients.

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