[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6074-H6075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MANAGED CARE REFORM

  (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, the Republican leadership has finally 
agreed to bring a managed care reform bill to the floor. Unfortunately 
the GOP proposal is so watered down that it could have been written by 
the insurance industry itself. It should be called the Profit 
Protection Act.

[[Page H6075]]

  Simply put, the Republican plan would allow the insurance companies 
to continue to place healthy profits over healthy patients. The 
Republican bill does not end the outrageous practice of drive-through 
mastectomies. In fact, it leaves medical decisions in the hands of the 
insurance company accountants instead of doctors. In fact, it does not 
provide any mechanism to hold the plan accountable when the plan abuse 
kills or injures someone and when they deny care to someone.
  Democrats have introduced a real managed care bill to insure that 
doctors and patients and not insurance company bureaucrats are making 
those critical health care decisions. It is time we had a scheduled 
debate on real managed care in this House and that we pass the 
Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights Act.

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