[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MANAGED CARE REFORM

  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, the 73 percent of Americans presently covered 
by managed care plans in this country know it is time for a Patients' 
Bill of Rights. The over 200,000 West Virginians covered alone under 
HMOs, health maintenance organizations, know it is time for a patient 
protection act. It is important to outlaw the gag rules. It is 
important to permit quick appeals, to permit seeing specialists, but it 
is also important to do something else, and that is to bring 
enforceability and accountability.
  Right now the insurance companies who make the basic decisions are 
not being held accountable. A doctor, say, may order a CAT scan 
thinking it is necessary for the patient. The insurance company 
overrides that decision. The illness goes undiagnosed. Who is held 
responsible? The doctor who knew that the CAT scan was necessary can be 
held responsible, but not the insurance company.
  That is why this has to change. Those who profit from making health 
care decisions, the insurance companies, the managed care plans, those 
who profit from making these basic health care decisions must also be 
held accountable for their patient care decisions. That is why we 
support the Dingell-Ganske Bill of Rights.

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