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| Date: |
October 6, 1999 |
| Contact: |
Dave Lemmon, Director of Communications
Robert Meissner, Deputy Director of Communications
Bryan Fisher, Press Secretary
202-628-3030 |
Passage of Rule in the House Marks Victory for Those Who Want to Kill Patient Protections:
Access Bill Full of Poison Pills That Will Assure Defeat of Final Bill
The passage of today's rule that would link managed care legislation to so-called access proposals poisons any chances of passing patient protections, according to the consumer watchdog group Families USA.
"The House Leadership realized they could not stop the momentum behind the Norwood-Dingell bill," said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA. "So instead of killing the bill outright, they have poisoned the legislation. If these so-called access proposals pass, they will be attached to the Norwood-Dingell bill, making its demise inevitable."
While over 300 consumer, physician, disease and health care groups have endorsed the Norwood-Dingell compromise legislation, the controversial provisions in the access proposals have garnered little mainstream support.
"The access proposals being put forth in the House today would not help the millions of Americans who do not have health care coverage, but the Norwood-Dingell bill would help the millions of American in managed care plans," said Pollack. "The House Leadership's strategy is designed to protect the financial interests of the insurance and HMO industry, not the need's of America's consumers."
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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org
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