Steve Rothman: “I hold in my hand a series of very thoughtful articles from my hometown newspaper about the devastating effects when…”

“I hold in my hand a series of very thoughtful articles from my hometown newspaper about the devastating effects when HMOs deny doctors and their patients the right to see medically needed specialists or to receive special tests. The problem is the Democratic Party and a handful of Republicans want to make HMOs accountable when they deny a specialist's care or special medical tests and that denial causes pain or injury or death to the person. Right now if that happens, the patient who gets sick or dies, his family can sue the doctor, but they cannot sue the HMO who denied the test or denied the procedure that would have saved the person's life. The Republican Party will not allow HMOs to be held accountable. We should ask yourselves, why? Why would the Republican party not allow HMOs to be sued or to be held accountable if the HMO's denial of a test or treatment caused the pain, injury, or death? In our society if somebody does something wrong to you, you can sue them. Why are they protecting the health insurance companies?”