US-politics: Showdown on Patient Protections!
Paul E. Prusakowski
Description
Collection
Title:
US-politics: Showdown on Patient Protections!
Creator:
Paul E. Prusakowski
Date:
10/1/1999
Text:
This may be of interest to some of you.
NOTE: This memo is being sent to signers of the Internet Petition for
Patients' Rights. If you would like to be on the regular Families USA
Listserv and receive more updates on Managed care and other Health Issues,
see our web site at
www.familiesusa.org/list.htm
SHOWDOWN ON PATIENT PROTECTIONS NEXT WEEK - CAN SPEAKER HASTERT STOP TIDAL
WAVE OF BIPARTISAN SUPPORT?
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW!
See easy way to do this at the end of this memo.)
After weeks of procrastination and partisan wrangling, House Speaker Dennis
Hastert (R-IL) has announced that the House will finally vote on patient
protection legislation the week of October 4th. At least two managed care
bills will be brought to the House floor»the strong, bipartisan bill
introduced by Reps. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) and John Dingell (D-MI) and
weaker patient protection legislation sponsored by Reps. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
and John Shadegg (R-AZ).
BACKGROUND: H.R. 2723, the Norwood-Dingell bill, includes most of the same
protections as the Patients' Bill of Rights Act that we've been fighting
for, including a strong external appeals provision and the right to sue
health plans. Since H.R. 2723 was introduced, most of the Democrats and 21
Republicans in the House have agreed to cosponsor it.
Threatened by this enthusiastic bipartisan support, Speaker Hastert asked
Reps. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John Shadegg (R-AZ) to develop an alternative
patient protection bill. The Coburn-Shadegg bill (H.R. 2824) is weak -
particularly on the right to sue and external appeals. Although Speaker
Hastert has not endorsed the Coburn-Shadegg bill, the bill may be brought to
the floor as a substitute for H.R. 2723, the real patient protection
legislation.
Another possible substitute that may be brought to the House floor is a bill
introduced by Rep. John Boehner (R-OH). The Boehner bill (no bill number has
been assigned yet) DOES NOT include the right to sue and DOES include
poison pills such as schemes to help plans avoid state regulations (for
example, by authorizing Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements, or MEWAs).
Even though the House Republican leadership has agreed to bring
Norwood-Dingell to the floor for a vote, and even though the bill has strong
bipartisan support, the battle is not over. The House Republican leadership
is still adamantly opposed and is looking for ways to defeat or water down
the legislation. We must tell Congress to hold firm --no amendments and no
substitutes for real patient protections!
WHAT YOU CAN DO: The upcoming vote on managed care patient protections is
sure to be close. Every vote will make a difference. That's why it's
important that you contact your Representative and ask him or her to:
(1) vote FOR the Norwood-Dingell patient protection bill; and
(2) vote AGAINST all substitutes and amendments.
To send a letter or an e-mail to your Representative, we invite you visit
our new legislative action center at:
congress.nw.dc.us/familiesusa
Click on the Alert and off you go!
Thanks for your help.
__________________________
Jeff Kirsch, Field Director
Families USA
1334 G St., NW
Washington, DC 20005
Ph: 202/628-3030
Fx: 202/347-2417
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
Web: www.familiesusa.org
NOTE: This memo is being sent to signers of the Internet Petition for
Patients' Rights. If you would like to be on the regular Families USA
Listserv and receive more updates on Managed care and other Health Issues,
see our web site at
www.familiesusa.org/list.htm
SHOWDOWN ON PATIENT PROTECTIONS NEXT WEEK - CAN SPEAKER HASTERT STOP TIDAL
WAVE OF BIPARTISAN SUPPORT?
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW!
See easy way to do this at the end of this memo.)
After weeks of procrastination and partisan wrangling, House Speaker Dennis
Hastert (R-IL) has announced that the House will finally vote on patient
protection legislation the week of October 4th. At least two managed care
bills will be brought to the House floor»the strong, bipartisan bill
introduced by Reps. Charlie Norwood (R-GA) and John Dingell (D-MI) and
weaker patient protection legislation sponsored by Reps. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
and John Shadegg (R-AZ).
BACKGROUND: H.R. 2723, the Norwood-Dingell bill, includes most of the same
protections as the Patients' Bill of Rights Act that we've been fighting
for, including a strong external appeals provision and the right to sue
health plans. Since H.R. 2723 was introduced, most of the Democrats and 21
Republicans in the House have agreed to cosponsor it.
Threatened by this enthusiastic bipartisan support, Speaker Hastert asked
Reps. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John Shadegg (R-AZ) to develop an alternative
patient protection bill. The Coburn-Shadegg bill (H.R. 2824) is weak -
particularly on the right to sue and external appeals. Although Speaker
Hastert has not endorsed the Coburn-Shadegg bill, the bill may be brought to
the floor as a substitute for H.R. 2723, the real patient protection
legislation.
Another possible substitute that may be brought to the House floor is a bill
introduced by Rep. John Boehner (R-OH). The Boehner bill (no bill number has
been assigned yet) DOES NOT include the right to sue and DOES include
poison pills such as schemes to help plans avoid state regulations (for
example, by authorizing Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements, or MEWAs).
Even though the House Republican leadership has agreed to bring
Norwood-Dingell to the floor for a vote, and even though the bill has strong
bipartisan support, the battle is not over. The House Republican leadership
is still adamantly opposed and is looking for ways to defeat or water down
the legislation. We must tell Congress to hold firm --no amendments and no
substitutes for real patient protections!
WHAT YOU CAN DO: The upcoming vote on managed care patient protections is
sure to be close. Every vote will make a difference. That's why it's
important that you contact your Representative and ask him or her to:
(1) vote FOR the Norwood-Dingell patient protection bill; and
(2) vote AGAINST all substitutes and amendments.
To send a letter or an e-mail to your Representative, we invite you visit
our new legislative action center at:
congress.nw.dc.us/familiesusa
Click on the Alert and off you go!
Thanks for your help.
__________________________
Jeff Kirsch, Field Director
Families USA
1334 G St., NW
Washington, DC 20005
Ph: 202/628-3030
Fx: 202/347-2417
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
Web: www.familiesusa.org
Citation
Paul E. Prusakowski, “US-politics: Showdown on Patient Protections!,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 24, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/213077.
