[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED ACCESS TO CARE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA MC CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 1999

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I along with 38 of my 
colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus introduced H.R. 1860, the 
Medically Underserved Access to Care Act which seeks to address the 
needs of minorities in the managed care system. As a physician, I have 
seen the problems that minorities--both patients and healthcare 
providers--can face within the managed care system. This bill seeks to 
ameliorate some of these difficulties by proposing some concrete 
solutions to overcome these problems.
  A key provision of H.R. 1860 would require managed care organizations 
to contract with providers in medically underserved communities who are 
ethnically representative of the population of those communities. This 
will help to ensure that these providers have the cultural sensitivity 
needed to interact with their patients in an understanding manner that 
will directly cater to their specific medical needs and concerns as 
minorities.
  To make this lofty goal a reality, H.R. 1860 establishes a program of 
outreach grants to underserved communities that will help patients 
locate culturally sensitive providers within their managed care plan. 
The bill also creates a similar outreach grant program for doctors that 
will be operated through a national private non-profit organization in 
conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services. The 
specific goal of this program will be to assist minority physicians and 
other health care providers to convert their practices and internal 
administrative procedures to best access the managed care system for 
both private insurance plans and Medicaid insurance plans.
  Ultimately, this bill seeks to redress the many grievances that 
minority physicians and patients have expressed regarding the managed 
care system. Addressing the problems that minorities face within the 
managed care system will take us one step closer to realizing the goal 
of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure that all 
Americans have access to quality care delivered in an appropriate 
manner.
  I want to express my thanks to the National Medical Association and 
its President, Dr. Gary Denis, for their invaluable help in developing 
the language of this bill and assisting in getting it ready for 
introduction. I also want to thank my colleagues on the CBC for their 
support in joining me as cosponsors of this important bill.

                          ____________________