Louise Slaughter: “Americans are frustrated with their managed care plans. It is no wonder; HMO horror stories abound. Every day we hear…”

“Americans are frustrated with their managed care plans. It is no wonder; HMO horror stories abound. Every day we hear stories of people being denied care, doctors being forbidden from discussing treatment options, and patients unable to get justice when things go wrong. Americans want a few simple things from their HMOs. In an emergency, they want care without having to worry about whether all necessary treatments will be covered. They want the right to visit the specialist who can address their health problems and the right to get prescription drugs they need. They want accountability from HMOs and insurance companies when they are injured by abusive practices. They want absolute privacy in their medical records and protection from discrimination on the basis of their genetic information. Unfortunately, we have not been given the opportunity to have any hearings or a markup on these issues, and, therefore, I encourage my colleagues to carefully consider the great need for legislation that will guarantee patient protection and put the emphasis on managing care rather than managing costs. I urge us to settle for nothing less. We have a historic opportunity to end these horror stories. Let us not waste this opportunity on half-baked attempts at reform. Let us take this chance to guarantee the protections that Americans want and need in their health care plans.”