Frank Pallone: “this week the Republican health care task force here in the House is supposed to release the language for its so-called…”

“this week the Republican health care task force here in the House is supposed to release the language for its so-called managed care reform bill. And we know from what the task force has already released publicly that this bill will be a farce, a cosmetic fix that lacks some of the most important patient protections. Despite an avalanche of real-life examples of people who have died because their HMOs refuse to approve needed care, the Republican leadership has kowtowed to the insurance industry. The Republican plan will not allow patients to sue their HMOs when they are denied needed care. This weekend Senate majority leader Trent Lott announced that Republicans in the Senate are following suit. The Senate Republican bill will also deny patients the right to sue their HMOs. Unlike the Republicans' proposals, the Democrats' patient bill of rights would give patients the right to sue their HMOs. Although this provision is included in the Patient's Bill of Rights, support for giving patients a legal mechanism to hold HMOs accountable is hardly limited to Democrats in Congress. Federal judges around the country are increasingly frustrated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA law, which is the source of the problem. ERISA shields HMOs and insurance companies from being sued by patients.”