[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 29, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H8970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DERAILING HMO 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, after years of fighting for HMO reform, we 
are at the doorstep of passing meaningful patient protections. But now, 
just before we enact the bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights, the 
Republican leadership is trying to derail HMO reform.
  The Republican leadership has offered a plan that fails to guarantee 
patients the right to make medical decisions with their doctors, 
decisions that are free from insurance company bureaucrats. Their plan 
also fails to hold HMOs accountable for wrong or improper decisions, 
and, sadly, the only reason this plan is even being offered is to 
prevent meaningful HMO reform from being passed.
  The bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights is a good bill. It has broad 
support. If we pass this bill, then all HMO patients can have the 
ability to choose their own doctors, guaranteed access to emergency and 
specialty care, the right to make health decisions with doctors only, 
freedom from gag rules to prevent doctors from offering care, and the 
ability to hold their HMOs accountable.
  Let us do the right thing. We have an historic opportunity in the 
next couple of weeks. Let us pass the bipartisan Patients' Bill of 
Rights.

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