CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS HOUSE FOR PASSING WEAKENED PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS
Washington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today blasted the House of Representatives for passing late last night a
weakened version of H.R. 2563, Bipartisan Patient Protection Act, by vote of 226 - 203.
This bill would fully expand medical savings accounts (MSA), which only benefit the wealthy and would increase health care
costs for those who remain in traditional insurance and managed care plans and would also weaken enforcement provisions
found within H.R. 2563, making it nearly impossible to pursue cases in state court, and stacks the deck against patients who
have been harmed by insurance companies.
"This is the fifth year that strong bipartisan patients’ rights
legislation has been blocked by the Republican Leadership," said
Lee. "The public has once again been denied meaningful reform because the GOP is intent on protecting the HMO’s and health
insurance companies that fill their campaign coffers."
"The Ganske-Dingell Patients Bill of Rights would have greatly limited the amount of control that managed care companies have
over decisions that should be made by doctors and patients," said Lee. "Unfortunately, the Bush Administration and the
Republican Leadership have once again effectively killed real reform by adding poison pill amendments to legislation that had
broad bipartisan support."
"We must continue to fight for a patients bill of rights that
ensures the best possible care, access to specialists, and proper
recourse in the courts which holds managed care companies accountable to their patients," said Lee. "But we must also provide
health care for the more than 44 million individuals who have no health insurance."
This year, Congresswoman Lee re-introduced H.R. 3000, the United States Universal Health Service Act (U.S. UHSA). This bill
would establish a United States Health Service (USHS) which would take the profit motive out of health care, distribute services
according to need and provide high quality comprehensive care for all.
"As national leaders committed to justice, equity, and the health of the public, we must renew the debate on addressing our
social health care needs of the people in this country," said Lee. "We must not continue to ignore the millions of Americans
without health care and the financial chaos that their health needs generate."
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