Debbie Dingell: “Mr. Chairman, this is a good piece of legislation. It shifts the balance back to the point where it is fair to the…”

“Mr. Chairman, this is a good piece of legislation. It shifts the balance back to the point where it is fair to the doctors and to the HMOs by whom they are employed. I think it is time that we do this. It is simple justice and simple equity, and it will improve a situation which has grown increasingly intolerable from the standpoints of doctors, of patients, and, very frankly, if they were smart enough to know, also the HMOs. Mr. Chairman, managed care has dramatically changed health insurance in the past 30 years. Once upon a time, it actually managed the care a patient received and because that was more efficient, it actually saving some money. But, managed care has taken this cost-saving ability to new levels and as a result has made the relationship between doctors, patients, and insurers more complicated. The balance of power has tilted away from the doctor and the patient to the insurer. Insurance companies hold supreme power over both payment decisions and treatment decisions, potentially compromising the quality of care along the way. The Quality Health Care Coalition Act addresses providers' concerns with their unequal bargaining position with insurers--a problem which hurts the quality of care patients receive. For that reason, Congress should act to restore balance to the provider-insurer relationship.”