Bill Clinton: “The reason I ask is that one of our big problems in the larger urban areas--I wish this lady were an exception, but…”

“The reason I ask is that one of our big problems in the larger urban areas--I wish this lady were an exception, but she's not. There are 10 million children out there like her kids--10 million--and any of them can get sick. And one of the problems we've got is really developing a system in a lot of places for people to know. There are places where people won't even go to the doctor, they're so discouraged. And anyway, if any of you have any ideas about that--I think we have tried--I think most of the States are trying to make sure that the doctors tell people if they actually come to the office that they might be eligible for this, and that's the most practical thing to do. But we also need a lot more outreach because it's conceivable to me that the money we've allocated to this that we're giving the States will cover even more than 5 million kids if we can actually find them and tell them. And I know this is painful for you to come here, but this is important. The American people need to know this. They need to know, A, this thing, it's here, in New Hampshire, and it's good. And it's in other States. But they also need to know there are a lot of people like you out there that need help that don't have it yet. So thanks for being brave enough to show up. I appreciate it. I'd like now to call on Stephen Gorin, who is a professor in the social work program, at Plymouth State College, the executive director of the New Hampshire Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, which is the State's most visible patient advocacy organization. He also has a biweekly radio program. [Mr. Gorin described his encounters with families denied access to specialists, physicians offered incentives to limit referrals, and consumers denied the right to appeal adverse decisions. He noted that due to a loophole in Federal law, an estimated 600,000 New Hampshire residents lacked the means of holding managed care organizations accountable for injury or damages and suggested that the Patients' Bill of Rights would close this loophole.]”