[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   AMERICANS HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE A ACCOUNTABILITY AGAIN IN HEALTH 
                             ORGANIZATIONS

  (Mr. KUYKENDALL asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUYKENDALL. Madam Speaker, today the American people are going to 
get a chance to have accountability put back in their health care 
organizations. There are a number of options before us, and at least 
three of those options are going to give the American public the 
ability to sue their health plan. They have not had that right in the 
past. That is an accountability they will have again over the medical 
profession for medical decisions.
  What comes with that is a need to figure out how to protect this 
employer group that so many of us are dependent upon for our livelihood 
and health care insurance coverage. I think there are several options 
today that do a good job at that as well.
  Those employers are not meant to be in the medical business, they are 
meant to be employers, manufacturers, and service providers. In this 
legislation today, I think we have a couple of options and the public 
will be well-served when they see the outcome. They will have 
accountability from their medical providers and their employers will 
remain sound and still be the conduit through which most people will 
get their medical coverage.
  I would encourage the public to watch today. This debate will be both 
lengthy and strident. But at the end of the day, they will be better 
served.

                          ____________________