Frank Pallone: “it is important for us to tell these stories because I think that it is only when we tell the stories of our…”

“it is important for us to tell these stories because I think that it is only when we tell the stories of our constituents and the people that have been through the system and the public and the other colleagues down here understand what our constituents are going through that we will get a ground-swell of support for managed care reform. I think it is very important that we relate those stories. I want to thank my colleague again. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the testimony to which I referred: Testimony of Cheryl Bolinger January 22, 1998. Good morning Senator Torricelli and Congressman Pallone. Thank you for your interest in hearing about the struggles my family has had in trying to receive good, quality medical care from an HMO for our daughter. My name is Cheryl Bolinger and I am the mother of a 15-year old child who has multiple developmental disabilities and complex, chronic medical problems. My daughter Kristin's medical problems began shortly after her birth. At six weeks of age, she developed unexplained intractable seizures. Because of the severity and the debilitating effects of her condition, she must be followed by many specialists and undergo many specialized and expensive diagnostic tests. Today, Kristin remains non-verbal and non-ambulatory, and requires customized durable medical equipment for every aspect of daily living. Customized equipment is also needed to prevent and minimize the effects of orthopedic problems.”