The letter by Irshad Ul-Haque (July 5) contrasting Congressman
James Rogan and state Sen. Adam Schiff's positions on HMO reform served
only to perpetuate the insurance industry's campaign to defeat a real
Patients' Bill of Rights.
As the number of Americans receiving health coverage through managed
care organizations has increased -- to more than 70 million in 1997 -- so
has the need for reform. Patients have rightfully grown frustrated with
insurance companies making a medical decisions instead of doctors and
patients. A bipartisan coalition of 206 Democrats and 68 Republicans
rallied behind a bill authored by Congressmen Charlie Norwood (R-Georgia)
and John Dingell (D-Michigan) to provide needed and overdue HMO reform.
The Norwood-Dingell bill would allow patients to pick their own
doctors, give women direct access to ob/gyn specialists, cover emergency
room care, eliminate gag rules that prevent doctors from telling patients
to hold HMOs accountable for decisions they make that harm a patient's
health.
Insurance companies do not want to be held responsible or answer for
their actions that cause harm. In response, their allies in Congress,
which includes the Republican leadership, presented two bills that were
nothing more than red-herrings designed to give the appearance of
reforming HMOs while in fact protecting the interests of insurance
companies. These bills contained no provisions to hold HMOs accountable.
These were the bills supported by James Rogan -- the bills he uses to
cover the fact that he opposes truly meaningful HMO reform.
Rogan's argument against Norwood-Dingell is that it would open up
employees to lawsuits simply for having offered health coverage. This
couldn't be further from the truth. The Norwood-Dingell bill specifically
exempts employers from such lawsuits. In a letter to his constituents,
Norwood described such claims as Rogan's as "pure deceit by the HMO lobby
to hold onto an unfair advantage that no other business has ever enjoyed.
The Rogan camp continues its trail of deception by trying to smear his
opponent, Adam Schiff, for accepting campaign contributions from trial
lawyers. Naturally, Rogan never advertises the fact that he has received
$148,000 from insurance and pharmaceutical companies, HMOs and other
opponents of true managed care reform. Nor does Rogan ever mention that
more than 300 doctors, nurses, consumer and health advocacy organizations
favor Norwood-Dingell and vehemently oppose the bills he voted for.
I trust that the voters will see through Rogan's baldfaced claims and
recognize the sham bills he supports for what they are: protection for
HMO shareholders. Adam Schiff is a true leader in serving the public
interest, with a record of accomplishments that include authoring a bill
to allow patients to appeal to an independent review board when denied
treatment by their HMO. Adam Schiff has earned the support of everyone
who favors a health care system based on what's best for patients rather
than insurance companies.
LOIS WELLINGTON
Burbank
