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MCCAIN REMAINS HOPEFUL DIFFERENCES CAN BE BRIDGED TO ENACT MEANINGFUL HMO REFORM
August 1, 2002
Washington, DC - Saying that a conference represents one final opportunity to work out the differences between the House and Senate bills to enact meaningful HMO reform, U.S. Senator John McCain today expressed hope that members of the Senate and House would be able to work with the President to ensure the important protections of the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act will be enacted into law. The following is his statement as delivered on the Senate floor:"Mr. President, it has now been over a year since the Senate passed S. 1052, the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act, and just under a year since another version was passed by the House of Representatives. The White House was instrumental in crafting the House-passed version, so that since last year, Senators Kennedy, Edwards, and I have worked with the White House in the hopes of reconciling the Senate and House bills. Much progress has been made as a result of those negotiations, but regrettably, a resolution eludes us, and I think it is time to appoint conferees.
"America has been patiently waiting for Congress to pass a Patients' Bill of Rights that will grant American families enrolled in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) the protections they deserve, particularly the right to a second opinion by external reviewers. For too long, this vital reform has been frustrated by political gridlock, principally by trial lawyers who insist on the ability to sue everyone for everything, and by the insurance companies who want to protect their bottom line at the expense of fairness. Americans want and deserve the quick enactment of this legislation.
"Several years ago I began working with my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to address problems in HMO's provision of healthcare and to craft a bipartisan bill that truly protects the rights of patients in our nation's health care system. The Senate passage of the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act furthered the effort to restore critical rights to HMO patients and doctors.
"Both the Senate and House-passed versions contain important patient protections for the American people, and I am confident that with perseverance we can resolve the few differences that remain. If we don't continue to work towards a resolution on this issue, we will be turning our backs on strong patient protections included in both bills, such as internal and external review, direct access to an ob-gyn for women, direct access to pediatricians for children, access to clinical trials for cancer patients, access to emergency room care, access to specialty care, and access to non-formulary prescription drugs. If we do not negotiate, these. important commonalities will be lost.
"I believe a conference represents one final opportunity to work out the differences between the House and Senate efforts to enact meaningful HMO reform. I remain committed to working with members of both bodies and with the President to make sure that we will enact into law these important protections, for which too many Americans have waited far too long. I look forward to working with my colleagues in conference to bridge the differences between the House and Senate bills and provide patients with the protections-they deserve. With a little more good faith and hard work, a good bill can be enacted this year."
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