TO: NASW Chapters

FROM: Pat Gorman, LCSW
Congressional Lobbyist

DATE: October 13, 1999

RE: Passage of Norwood/Dingell - HR 2723
Bipartisan Consensus Managed Care Improvement Act of 1999

On Thursday, October 7, 1999, healthcare practitioners and patients truly triumphed over profits! The bipartisan Patients’ Bill of Rights, H.R. 2723,passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 275-151. A total of 68 Republicans crossed over to vote for it!

I am writing to thank you for your continual and constant support. The chapters and NASW members were extremely helpful in contacting legislators and making the passage of this bill a reality. This effort cannot be done without your support!

We are asking each chapter to send to their legislators who supported the bill a thank you...and letters of disappointment to your legislators who did not support the bill. Letters on chapter letterhead signed by the Executive Director and/or President are much more meaningful than those that come from the national office. Drs. Norwood (R-GA) and Ganske (R-IA) and Rep. Dingell (D-MI) deserve additional praise for providing leadership and working so diligently on the bill. National will follow up with letters to the leadership on this bill as well.

I am enclosing the voting results as well as two sample letters.

Please send me a copy of your letters and any responses you get back.

P.S. The battle is not over yet! The House bill would impose much tighter regulations on insurers than would the Senate Bill #1344 Patients’ Bill of Rights Act of 1999 which was passed in July. The House bill now goes to conference committee where the two bills will be reconciled. Members of both houses selected by the respective leaders of each chamber will make up that committee. Regardless of how large the House or Senate delegations are in relation to one another, each chamber gets one vote on any question before the conference committee. On each part of the bills where there is difference, the committee may choose to adopt the House position, the Senate position, or any position in between. We will be looking forward to your help at this next step.