We get sick, he gets campaign donations
Time and again, Glendening has come through for the HMOs, while sending Maryland
consumers overboard. The HMO patients bill of rights was defeated the Governor
vetoed legislation that would have required HMOs to pay for emergency room visits, and
Maryland still does not require HMOs to pay for at least two days in the hospital for a
mastectomy. Is there anyway to account for the how the HMOs have trained the governor to
do their bidding?
According to a January 18, 1998 article in the Washington Post entitled, "Health
Care Lobbying Scrutinized," Glendening has raised tens of thousands of dollars
"from companies, political committees or individuals affiliated with health
care." One of those companies, Merit Behavioral Care, flew the governor to New York
on their company jet for a fundraiser at the same time they were bidding on very lucrative
state health contracts.
That ethical violation, not to mention betrayal of the public trust involved in this
deal should have been obvious. But the pattern persists with political contributions,
favoritism, lack of standards, rationing of services, and most of all, fear about the
deteriorating quality of health care in Maryland.
We can do better. Eileen Rehrmann wants a bill of rights for consumers. She wants HMOs
to be subject to the same disciplinary standards as doctors. She wants doctors to be able
to start their own HMOs. She wants people to be able to appeal arbitrary decisions to deny
coverage.
Eileen Rehrmann is committed to making "care" the most important word in
managed care - and to turning Maryland into a national model of quality health care. |