[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2287]]
      COMMENDATION OF BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 20, 1998

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend 
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for becoming the first 
company in the state, and one of the first in the nation, to pledge its 
voluntary compliance with the Consumer Bill of Rights and 
Responsibilities developed by the President's Advisory Commission on 
Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry.
  The Consumer Bill of Rights sets forth eight recommendations to 
promote quality and protect consumers in the health care system. The 
recommendations call for health plans to guarantee consumers' access to 
clear information about their health plan, allow sufficient choice of 
physicians and hospitals, provide access to emergency services and to 
grievance and appeals processes, ensure confidentiality of health 
information, and encourage participation by the consumer in treatment 
decisions. The Consumer Bill of Rights also calls for an environment of 
mutual respect between consumers and the health care industry and 
recognizes that consumers should take reasonable responsibility for 
their health care.
  Congress tried to pass legislation this year which contained many of 
these same patient protections. Our citizens deserve these assurances 
in the changing health care marketplace, and I was disappointed that we 
could not resolve our differences on this issue. However, it is very 
heartening to see that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is 
taking the initiative to adopt fundamental rights and guarantees for 
its health care consumers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina 
is the largest health insurer in the state, with 1.6 million members, 
and the company's decision to provide these basic patient protections 
to its members follows its long-standing commitment to quality care. I 
hope other health plans in North Carolina and across the country will 
follow Blue Cross and Blue Shield's notable example and endorse the 
Consumer Bill of Rights.
  During the 105th Congress, much has been said about changes that are 
occurring in health care and about how patients and the doctor-patient 
relationship can be protected in this sometimes unsettling environment. 
Government has an important role in this, I believe, but it is even 
more important for insurers themselves to assume responsibility for the 
quality of their product and for the access of their customers to the 
quality care they need. That is what Blue Cross and Blue Shield of 
North Carolina has done in endorsing the Consumer Bill of Rights. We 
should recognize and honor this kind of corporate responsibility when 
we witness it, and I am pleased to do so today.

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