Robert Torricelli: “this debate is symbolic in many ways. It holds the prospect of ending a five-year effort to pass meaningful HMO reform.…”

“this debate is symbolic in many ways. It holds the prospect of ending a five-year effort to pass meaningful HMO reform. A Patients' Bill of Rights that recognizes, that while the move to HMO based health care may have started with the best of intentions, the results have been less than spectacular. Beyond the prospect of finally enacting HMO reform, this debate marks the beginning of the tenure of Tom Daschle as majority leader. It is a testament to the priority that he and our caucus have given to this issue, that it is the first legislation we have brought to the floor. For too long this debate has been one-sided and bottled-up by partisanship. I was hopeful that Majority Leader Daschle's earlier commitment to a full and fair debate on amendments would begin this debate on a positive note. However, I am disappointed that my colleagues on the other side have objected to the motion to proceed and that it potentially will be days before we can begin the debate on amendments. The Senate HELP Committee has done a study and found that each day of delay on this issue has very real consequences. Every day 41,000 patients experience a worsening of their condition, 35,000 patients have needed care delayed, 10,000 patients are denied a diagnostic test or treatment, and 7,000 patients are denied a referral to specialist. As important as the education debate over the past month has been, no issue will touch more families than what we do on HMO reform.”