Thomas Daschle: “I join my colleagues in introducing the Patients' Bill of Rights Act of 1998. This legislation has been developed…”

“I join my colleagues in introducing the Patients' Bill of Rights Act of 1998. This legislation has been developed cooperatively with Democrats in the House and Senate to address a growing concern of the American public, the quality of care delivered by health plans and insurance companies. Today, three of every four working, insured Americans are in managed care plans, and far too many have experienced serious problems with their coverage. We all know someone with a horror story in that regard. Today, David Garvey of Illinois told us the tragic story of his wife, who had taken a ``dream'' vacation to Hawaii with a few of her friends. When she arrived in Hawaii, she noticed some bruises on her body. She went to a clinic and was quickly admitted to the hospital. She was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Her doctor in Hawaii began a course of treatment, and said that she would likely need a bone marrow transplant to save her life. Several days into the treatment, her HMO called from Chicago and said she had to return to Chicago for the treatment and transplant. They insisted that she return, even over the strong objections of the doctor in Hawaii who said that she was not stable enough to travel and that her immune system could not fight infection. Mr. Garvey tried to talk to the decisionmakers in the plan, but they insisted that she return to Chicago or forego coverage. As the medical bills were adding up, Mrs. Garvey had no choice but to fly back to Chicago.”