[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21218]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. BUTTERFIELD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, during the August recess, not only did 
I conduct townhall meetings, but I toured medical facilities throughout 
my district. One of those visits has been etched vividly in my mind.
  In Elizabeth City, North Carolina, I met Derrick Williams at DaVita 
Dialysis Center. He tearfully explained to me that he had received a 
kidney transplant from his sister. The kidney worked well, but he was 
required to take a variety of antirejection medicines. He liked his 
insurance.
  His insurance company started reimbursing for the medicines, and he 
was very happy. But after just 2 years, the insurance company refused 
further reimbursement. Unable to afford the medicines, the kidney 
failed, he's back on dialysis, his sister is without a kidney, and 
Derrick is awaiting another kidney. What a tragedy.
  Health insurers should work with us and their policyholders. Instead, 
they continue to rake in huge profits by raising premiums $1,800 per 
year and cutting back on coverage.
  I urge the insurance industry to embrace health care reform, please.

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