[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H5506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRESS SHOULD PASS LEGISLATION HOLDING HMOS RESPONSIBLE FOR DENIAL OF 
                                  CARE

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with my colleagues 
the story of one of my constituents, Sharon Crossley, from Wallingford, 
Connecticut. Last November Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer. The 
day before her surgery her HMO canceled the procedure because it was 
scheduled for the wrong hospital. While Sharon was waiting to get on 
another doctor's schedule, precious days were passing by.
  As a cancer survivor, I can tell the Members how frightening the 
diagnosis is and how essential it is to get quick medical attention. 
Every day of delay is another day that the cancer could be spreading 
through your body, threatening vital organs.
  Sharon Crossley was one of the lucky ones. She called our office. We 
were able to convince her HMO to help her get emergency surgery 
scheduled immediately. But patients should not have to take that kind 
of a risk that Sharon had to take.
  The American people deserve to have rights in the health care system. 
That is why we need to pass legislation today holding managed care 
plans responsible for the denial of care with real, reliable, and 
enforcible remedies.

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