[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 113 (Wednesday, August 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H6970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    AMERICAN FAMILIES DESERVE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HEALTH 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, our families deserve health care that is 
affordable and accessible. They deserve to have their medical decisions 
made by their doctors and not by insurance company bureaucrats.
  For the past 2 years the American public has consistently asked for 
reforms that put medical decisions back into the hands of doctors and 
patients. What do they want? Simply to choose their own doctor, to have 
access to the nearest emergency room, to be able to see a specialist 
when necessary, to be free from an HMO gag rule that prevents doctors 
from discussing their treatment options, and yes, they want to hold 
HMOs accountable.
  The fact is that HMOs are making medical decisions for people today, 
and when something goes terribly wrong, the American individual has to 
have the opportunity to seek some redress and to have these HMOs be 
accountable.
  There are Members in this body who are doctors, Democrats and 
Republicans. They agree that these measures benefit patients, make our 
health care system stronger. We need to pass a meaningful Patients' 
Bill of Rights that reflects our values in this country for quality 
health care. Let us put patients ahead of profits.

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