CIS/Index
Copyright © 1999, Congressional Information
Service, Inc.
99 CIS S 4316
TITLE: Key Patients'
Protections: Lessons from the Field
CIS-NO: 99-S431-6
SOURCE:
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Senate
DOC-TYPE:
Hearing Retrieve
the full text of testimony
DOC-NO: S. Hrg. 106-10
DATE: Mar. 11, 1999
LENGTH: iii+130 p.
CONG-SESS:
106-1
ITEM-NO: 1043-A; 1043-B
SUDOC: Y4.L11/4:S.HRG.106-10
MC-ENTRY-NO: 99-16569
CIS DOCUMENT ON DEMAND:
1-800-227-2477 (Full Text Reproductions)
SUMMARY:
Hearing to assess the need for Federal patient protection legislation to
ensure that participants in managed care plans obtain access to high quality
health care.
Briefly considers S. 6, the Patients' Bill
of Rights Act of 1999, to establish minimum Federal quality standards
for managed care plan operations.
S. 300 and S. 326, cited on
cover, are not substantially discussed.
CONTENT-NOTATION: Managed health care quality and
consumer protection, review
BILLS: 106
S. 6; 106
S. 300; 106
S. 326
DESCRIPTORS:
MANAGED HEALTH CARE; MEDICAL REGULATION; CONSUMER PROTECTION; HEALTH FACILITIES
AND SERVICES; MEDICAL PERSONNEL; PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS ACT
99-S431-6 TESTIMONY NO: 1 Mar. 11, 1999 p. 6-89
WITNESSES (and witness notations):
SCANLON,
WILLIAM J. (Director, Health Financing and Public Health Issues, Health,
Education, and Human Services Division, GAO)
SEBELIUS,
KATHLEEN (Commissioner, Kansas Department of Insurance; representing Special
Committee on Health Insurance, National Association of Insurance Commissioners
(NAIC))
THOMAS, PETER W. (former Chairman, Subcom on
Consumer Rights, Protections, and Responsibilities, President's Advisory
Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry)
STATEMENTS AND DISCUSSION:
Findings of GAO
study comparing patient protection provisions in 15 States (related tables and
charts, p. 11-29 passim); perspectives on State and Federal regulation of
managed health plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
(related correspondence and doc, p. 40-55).
Importance of
patient protection provisions to ensure access to quality health care, including
medical specialist services; review of Patients Bill of Rights
developed by the President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and
Quality in the Health Care Industry; issues related to patient protection
legislative proposals.
INSERTION:
-- NAIC,
the Health Carrier Grievance Procedure Model Act, a model law, to establish
standards for resolution of health plan participants' grievances, Oct. 1996,
text (p. 56-63).
CONTENT NOTATION:
Managed
health care quality and consumer protection, review
TESTIMONY
DESCRIPTORS:
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE
COMMISSIONERS; GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE; FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS; MODEL LAWS;
EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT
99-S431-6
TESTIMONY NO: 2 Mar. 11, 1999 p. 90-130
WITNESSES (and witness notations):
IGNAGNI, KAREN
(President and CEO, American Association of Health Plans)
POLLACK, RONALD F. (Executive Director, Families USA
Foundation)
MALONE, BEVERLY L. (President, American Nurses
Association)
COMSTOCK, MARCIA L. (Dr.) (Fellow, Health
Care Policy and Workplace Issues, Chamber of Commerce of the U.S)
STATEMENTS AND DISCUSSION:
Overview of managed health
care plans operations and organization; differing views on need for Federal
patient protection legislation, with details on S. 6; importance of patient
protections to ensure consumer access to quality health care, including medical
specialist services; issues related to patient protection legislation.
CONTENT NOTATION:
Managed health care
quality and consumer protection, review
TESTIMONY DESCRIPTORS:
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH PLANS 
