Political Quotes

“I have long supported the efforts of Mr. Norwood to reform managed care. Unfortunately, I cannot support my friend's lastest legislative effort on this issue. Instead, I remain strongly in favor of the Ganske-Dingell-Berry bill, H.R. 2563. This is the only Patients' Bill of Rights legislation we are considering today with sufficient enforcement provisions. Without strong accountability, the landmark patient protections we agree are necessary will be rendered meaningless. The Norwood amendment, based on his agreement with President Bush, is an empty shell, tipping the balance back to the insurance companies and away from patients. This Norwood plan is significantly weaker than the bill passed by the Senate. Congressman Norwood's amendment places unacceptable limits on a patient's ability to hold his or her plan accountable. Self-funded plans may only be sued in federal courts. This provision limits access to state courts for many Americans covered under employer-sponsored health insurance plans. Even when a patient can seek a resolution through state court, they can only do so under federal rules, which are more restrictive for plaintiffs. Patients have a larger burden to bear under the Norwood language. They can sue if an independent reviewer decides against them, but the legal presumption would be that the external review was correct.”