Political Quotes

“earlier this morning, some of us were on the floor urging the Senate to bring up the Patients' Bill of Rights, a very important bill that would essentially protect patients from decisions made by accountants and bureaucrats in insurance companies and have their health care decisions made by physicians. I was talking with the Senator from North Dakota who has been presenting a number of cases that proves our point as to why this legislation is needed, and he shared with me a most extraordinary case coming out of California. I am going to tell the Senate about this case, because we cannot close our eyes to what is happening. I share with you the case of Joyce Ching from Agoura, CA. Joyce Ching lived with her husband David and 5-year-old son Justin. In 1992, when David switched jobs, he was offered an array of plans, but Joyce convinced him to join an HMO because she wanted the entire family to go to the same place to get their care. In the summer of 1994, Joyce got sick. She began to suffer from severe abdominal pain and from rectal bleeding. The pain was so excruciating that some days she couldn't even get out of bed to be with her son. She visited her HMO doctor and was refused referral to a specialist. I am not a physician, but I know enough people who have had problems, and when you have rectal bleeding, that is a sign that something is amiss. Yet, this HMO did not refer her to a specialist.”