Bob Wise: “I prefer that major pieces of legislation be worked out on a bipartisan basis, but it is clear that it is the Republican…”

“I prefer that major pieces of legislation be worked out on a bipartisan basis, but it is clear that it is the Republican leadership that controls this House; and it is clear that it is the Republican leadership, regrettably, that is delaying getting this bill to conference. The House of Representatives passed this important patients' bill of rights 4 weeks ago, and yet has not yet gone to conference with the Senate so that we can get passage of a final bill. Four weeks ago. If this were a patient awaiting surgery, this would be an offense even under the nonexistent patients' bill of rights, even under managed care as it is today. This is shameful. So that is why it is so important that this bill that is now before us go to conference. Clearly, we need a patients' bill of rights in this country; 200,000 citizens in West Virginia alone in HMOs, and thousands more in managed care plans, need an appeals process. We need to make sure that they can see the specialists that they have been working with. We need to make sure that they have more choice, particularly in choosing their OB-GYN's and their pediatricians. So why can we not get the Republican leadership to permit this bill to go to conference? It is a shame that we have to come to the floor like this. But if we have to keep forcing it, we will, because the American people are quite clear: they want a patients' bill of rights. They want to make sure in their managed care plans they have rights.”