Frank Pallone: “tonight, once again, I would like to take up the issue of managed care reform and particularly to draw a contrast which…”

“tonight, once again, I would like to take up the issue of managed care reform and particularly to draw a contrast which I think is very important between the Democratic bill, the Patient's Bill of Rights introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) and the proposal that has been put forward by the Republican task force both here in the House and another one in the Senate. The Republican health care task force here in the House is supposed to release the language for their so-called managed care reform bill tonight or possibly tomorrow. We know from what the task force has already released publicly that this bill is essentially a response to polling that the Republicans have asked for and requested that shows that they will lose the majority in November if they do not address the issue of managed care reform. But their proposal is essentially a cosmetic fix, a farce, that lacks some of the most important patient protections that are included in the Democratic Patient's Bill of Rights. I also would mention that in the Senate, the Senate Republicans have responded to this overwhelming outcry by the American people for managed care reform, but they have responded with, again, with a rhetoric-laced, partisan proposal that places the interests of insurers far above the needs of patients. I think that the American people simply do not want a bill that does not measure up on the issue of managed care reform.”