[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6509]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HELP EFFICIENT, ACCESSIBLE, LOW-COST, TIMELY HEALTH CARE (HEALTH) ACT 
                                OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 13, 2003

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this 
legislation. This bill would provide legal protections to HMOs and 
override all of our efforts to hold them accountable through the 
Patients' Bill of Rights. Worse, it would restrict patients' rights 
without actually solving the problems associated with high insurance 
costs.
  The Democratic substitute, which we were prevented from offering, 
would have taken a comprehensive approach to the malpractice insurance 
crisis, recognizing the need for both tort reform and insurance reform. 
Not only would it have prevented frivolous lawsuits, but it would have 
also required insurance companies to pass their savings on to health 
care providers, in addition to providing assistance to the physicians 
and communities who need it the most. Even the CEOs of 4 insurance 
companies say this bill does not guarantee reduced insurance premiums 
for doctors.
  Capping non-economic damages at $250,000, as this bill does, will 
disproportionately hurt stay-at-home mothers, children, the elderly and 
the disabled--people who do not earn enough to show a substantial 
economic loss. They suffer just as much as a high-paid CEO, yet under 
this bill, they would receive virtually nothing for their pain and 
suffering.
  I urge my colleagues to do right by these families and oppose this 
bill. Let's come back and pass a bill that will actually do something 
to address the malpractice crisis.

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