Political Quotes

“I am proud to have been a cosponsor of H.R. 2723. This was a bipartisan vote as it passed this House. I would hope our conferees, as they are named, would remember that this House sent that bill to the Senate with a strong majority. It was a bipartisan majority because it addressed the issues that dealt with managed care reform: an outside appeals process, obviously to eliminate the gag rule, also allowing where a reasonable person or a medical necessity could be included in there. The most important, and I know this will be the toughest issue on the conference committee, was the accountability section in there. And, again, going on the experience that Texas has, it does not do any good not to have the ability to go to the courthouse. Because, ultimately, that makes the appeals process work. In the State of Texas, in the last 3 years that we have had our bill, we have had actually about half the cases that are being taken to the outside appeals process are being found in favor of the patient. Even a little bit more, 51, 52 percent. But the important part is that the insurance companies then will let that person have that care that they need.”