Political Quotes

“for months we have heard and been hearing about how expensive the Patients' Bill of Rights is. The insurance industry, managed care organizations, HMOs, and big business have repeatedly tried to scare the American public, saying that the bill would dramatically raise premiums and force employers to drop health insurance coverage for their employees. Last week we found out how much dramatically really is. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, after thoroughly analyzing each section of the Dingell-Ganske Patients' Bill of Rights, has determined that the bill would cost beneficiaries only $2 a month. That is right. For the cost of a Happy Meal at McDonald's, patients in managed care would have what they need: accountability; access to specialists; no gag rule on their providers; and a swift insurer appeals process. It is the simple, most logical provision in the Patients' Bill of Rights because it puts the HMOs on the same level as every other industry in this country. They have to be accountable for their actions and their decisions. The bottom line is if you are making medical decisions, you should be held accountable. If you are not making medical decisions, you should not be accountable.”