[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 6 (Tuesday, February 1, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H98]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS

  (Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning with a hopeful 
heart. We return to Congress at the dawn of the millennium, and we face 
many challenges and opportunities. I wish to remind our colleagues that 
during the last session, the House approved legislation that greatly 
impacts Americans and assures their access to health care, but today, 4 
months after the Patients' Bill of Rights was approved, we are still 
waiting for action.
  We cannot allow any more delays that place the health of Americans at 
risk. Millions of American families suffer from managed care decisions 
made by HMO bureaucrats that are based on profits and not medical need. 
We must return medical decisions back to where they belong, to doctors 
and patients.
  I urge conferees to produce a strong bill that will help families and 
give patients the right to make health and life decisions together with 
their doctors and not subject to the decisions of insurance 
bureaucrats.

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