Political Quotes

“I rise today to testify to the need for HMO reform. By now we have heard the endless list of reasons why HMO reform is necessary, but none are as meaningful as the story I will share with you today. Chicago residents Barbara and David Smith were vacationing in Hawaii when Barbara noticed that her body was badly bruised. At the hospital she was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and needed an immediate bone marrow transplant. However, her HMO refused to pay for the transplant in Hawaii, insisting instead that she return to Chicago for the operation. Seeing that she had no other choice, Barbara boarded a flight to Chicago, but suffered a stroke in midair. As a result, Barbara Smith died 9 days later, at the age of 55. The restrictions of Barbara Smith's HMO cost her her life. Not only did David Smith lose his wife, but he is unable to file a lawsuit against the responsible HMO. This is a devastating situation, and unfortunately, these situations are all too common. Too many lives have already been lost. Too many families have already been broken. Too many individuals have seen their health decline. The good news is we can stop this now. We can stop it by passing meaningful HMO reform.”