September 30, 1999

MANAGED CARE LEGISLATION

After weeks of delay and partisan wrangling, the House will finally vote on patient protection legislation the week of October 4th. (You will recall the Senate passed a weak managed care bill in July, which would cover only a small segment of the population.) At least three managed care bills will be brought to the House floor for consideration. Of these, HR 2723, the strong, bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Charles Norwood (R-GA) and John Dingell (D-MI), provides the greatest level of patient protection. It most closely embodies concepts endorsed by the JCPA in its 1998 Managed Care Resolution and goes the furthest to ensure adequate, affordable, accessible health care coverage consistent with the JCPA's Health Care Principles, adopted in June 1993. Most Democrats and 21 Republicans in the House have already agreed to cosponsor this bill.

However, while debate will begin next week with consideration of the Norwood-Dingell bill, we expect at least two competing and weaker proposals to be introduced as substitutes. These are HR. 2824, sponsored by Representatives Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John Shadegg (R-AZ), and HR 2926, introduced by Representative John Boehner (R-OH). The attached chart delineates the major provisions in each initiative as of this writing.