Bill Pascrell: “The average CEO from an HMO makes $6 million a year. It goes up to $20 million a year. A woman in my district recently…”

“The average CEO from an HMO makes $6 million a year. It goes up to $20 million a year. A woman in my district recently summed up the problems with our current managed care system in a conversation with me. She asked if there was a way she could get into Medicare early because she thought she could receive better care under her Medicare than under her current health insurance program. All across my State of New Jersey, patients are being denied their basic rights, and I think that is what this argument and debate is all about. New Jerseyans who benefit from some of the strongest patient protections in the country would lose under the original bill. Benefits and services such as bone marrow transplants, diabetic supplies, mammogram and prostrate screenings and minimum maternity stays would all be in jeopardy for thousands of patients in our State. Let us do the right thing today.”