[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H4548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  BIPARTISAN PATIENTS' PROTECTION ACT

  (Ms. WATSON of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend.)
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my 
strong support for the bipartisan Patient Protection Act, H.R. 2563, 
that will come before the House later this week.
  The Ganske-Dingell bill is a step in the right direction for American 
health care. Doctors and patients must live with the outcome of their 
decisions. Now it is time for the health maintenance organizations to 
do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, in many instances, HMOs have streamlined services and 
cut the cost of health administration. Spiraling costs seem to be 
contained, and medical options seem to be plentiful. However, 
containment of costs have also adversely affected the quality of 
patient care.
  We now know that reform must happen. We now know that the middleman 
must be held accountable and liable for medical decisions. We now know 
that the basic American principles and values must be inherent in 
medical public policy.
  The bipartisan Patient Protection Act gives all Americans the right 
to choose their own doctors, to hold a plan accountable when the plan 
makes a decision that could kill.

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