[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 29, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H8972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REPUBLICAN MANAGED-CARE BILL

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, making sure that everyone has an 
opportunity to see the doctor of their choice, that is one of the main 
principles that we are here for. One of the main things each and every 
one out there, each American, wants to be able to see the doctor of 
their choice, especially if they are paying for their own medication 
and their own health care.
  For the last 2 years, we fought over the issue of managed-care 
reform, and we need to make sure that every American has that 
opportunity to see the doctor of their choice.
  It is interesting that now as we come to battle on this issue that 
the other side is beginning to talk about coming together, and we do 
need to come together, but the reality is that we are skeptical about 
their proposals. We have the managed-care bill, the patients' bill of 
rights, that is there to make sure that we can come back and make the 
managed-care companies, the HMOs, accountable to our constituents. I 
want to make sure that as we move forward that we do the right thing. 
Let us stop wasting time. It is time that we come together and we make 
sure that we are responsive. Instead of reinventing the wheel and 
derailing things, we have to make sure that the majority is held 
accountable for health care in this country.

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