[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23806]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          MANAGED CARE REFORM

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, just when Congress appears ready for 
managed care reform with the Norwood-Dingell bill, there is an effort 
to propose gimmicks and ways to poison the bill with harmful provisions 
that will wind up doing nothing for patients.
  For months, the Republican leadership has complained that the 
Patients' Bill of Rights would increase cost and open employers to 
unfair lawsuits, both of which would supposedly force employers to drop 
coverage. That is just not true.
  As a Northeastern Member of Congress said a couple of weeks ago, even 
Texas is a leader and California just passed a bill recently and the 
governor signed it, passed a strong Patients' Bill of Rights. My home 
State of Texas has passed many of the patient protections. They are 
already in place, including external appeals, accountability, and there 
has been no premium increase or exodus by employers to drop coverage.
  What Texas residents do have is the health care protections they 
need. Provisions included in this Patients' Bill of Rights should be 
extended to every American including eliminating ``gag clauses,'' open 
access to specialists, a timely appeals process, coverage for immediate 
emergency care, and holding the medical decision-maker accountable.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope and pray we are not headed for more delays and 
maneuverings and will pass a strong bill for our constituents.

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