Andre Carson: “That is why I stand before you today on behalf of all of the people who seek the services from HMOs who do not happen to…”

“That is why I stand before you today on behalf of all of the people who seek the services from HMOs who do not happen to be a Member of the United States Congress. The President of the United States claims credit for the HMO reform bill that passed in Texas when he was Governor. You would think that a person who claims credit for an issue would work hard to put it into practice at his new job. It is not right for the HMOs to take money from people they are supposed to serve and then deny them the service when those same people need help. We need to pass the Patients' Bill of Rights bill that would hold health plans accountable when they harm a patient, protect patients from paying out of pocket for emergency room services, provide an independent appeal process, and guarantee that treatment decisions are based on medical, and not financial, concerns. The President needs to stop trying to negotiate away from his own law, and support the same bill he said he supported in Texas, the Dingell-Ganske-Norwood Patients' Bill of Rights.”