[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 111 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H5184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPORT PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS

  (Mr. KELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
bipartisan patients' bill of rights. This bill has three key 
components.
  First, it provides patient protections. For example, women in my 
district of Orlando can now go directly to their gynecologist, children 
can go directly to a pediatrician, and it provides for emergency room 
coverage.
  Second, this bill holds HMOs accountable in a court of law for their 
decisions. This is critical because it places decisions back in the 
hands of physicians and patients, not in the hands of HMO bureaucrats.
  Third, it protects employers from frivolous lawsuits by using a 
dedicated decision-maker model. In addition, it requires that patients 
first exhaust their independent appeals process before filing a 
lawsuit.
  The bill has caps at $1.5 million on pain-and-suffering damages as a 
way to hold down insurance premiums. Punitive damages are not available 
unless a decision-maker fails to follow the recommendation of the 
independent reviewer. If they do not follow that recommendation, they 
are subject to punitive damages at $1.5 million.
  It encourages HMOs to do the right thing and it protects patients. I 
urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important, bipartisan 
patients' bill of rights.

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