William Tauzin: “Six years, when the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) began this crusade for patient protections, he, through an…”

“Six years, when the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) began this crusade for patient protections, he, through an exercise of extraordinary courage and conviction, has been willing to take on Members on both sides of this aisle. He has taken on his own party. Now he takes on Members of the other party who disagree with him today. He has shown extraordinary courage and conviction, and he is determined that when we get through today with the amendment that he will offer in agreement with the President of the United States to make sure this bill is signed into law, he has determined this bill will do the following things when we get through today: It will preserve the right of patients to choose their own doctors and to have the customary patient-doctor relationship. Secondly, it will extend the patients the right to have an external medical review of HMO decisions. And, third, it will guarantee patients the right to sue HMOs, to hold them accountable in both State and Federal Court, under the agreement he has reached with the President.”