Political Quotes

“I have supported the passage of a patients' bill of rights, and I will continue to do so until this Congress acts in a responsible manner and passes a strong, meaningful and enforceable patients' bill of rights. But what we are being forced to do today is a travesty for the American people, who are going to believe they will now have rights and can stand up to HMOs when they are harmed. Instead, they will continue to be deprived of the type of care that every American is entitled to receive. If we weaken the Ganske-Dingell bill with the Norwood amendment, we will continue to have HMOs deny care and go unpunished. We will continue to have doctors making decisions based on profit margins, not patient needs. We will continue to have HMOs pressuring doctors to deny referrals; to skimp on care; and to fear retribution by corporate executives, who are concerned with profits, not patients. We need to pass legislation that gives doctors the power to provide the care that they have sworn to provide. I am not concerned with closed-door agreements, legislative victories, or making good on campaign promises. I am concerned about patients.”