. >> each of you as i listened, ms. beaton, you were and are in, ms. raddatz, you are an attorney and as horton, you have family in the field of radiology. they don't have the ways or means or knowledge to take the steps necessary. they don't know -- i know hundreds of attorneys. i've been practicing for a lengthy period of time. they don't know the people i know so what do they do? degette the letter and they don't get the treatment they need and many of these people died and they think that's because they just don't know what to do, and i believe honestly that the insurance companies depend upon that lack of knowledge and lack of law, federal laws in place, and that's one of the ways they encourage profits. >> ms. beaton, do you want to add anything? >> i was going to say that a lot of people in my cancer group get letters like this, they just give up. they fade away and they die. >> well you were fortunate, ms. beaton, you had mr. congressman burton to intervene otherwise you might not be with us today. was it clear after you didn't have a u.s. cong

beaton, the other two, ms. horton and ms. raddatz that we can fix this system without, as they say turning it over lock, stock and barrel to federal bureaucracy that routinely is going to ration of the people on the waiting list, but we will get into that later and i want to thank all three of you for being here today and giving us such compelling testimony. >> please do not accept mr. gingrey's description of a possible healthcare plan for a nation based upon those comments. some of this on your side see the little differently but mr. walden for questions please. >> thank you mr. chairman. i appreciate the-- another hearing i am involved then upstairs but i read your testimony this morning, and so i appreciate, appreciate what you have been through all the none of us can understand what it is like to be in your shoes or that of your loved ones. it is not a good thing. and so, i want to thank, we had to physicians here, both dr. gingrey had and my colleague from texas, dr. burgess and i think that is good to have. i hope that

beaton got when she switched jobs from being a nurse and went into business for herself. on the application, i have to list the medications that i am taking, the fact that i had a heart attack, give the doctor that time, the location, but i broke my leg playing football in high school. i got a 250 lb-- i with a linebacker. if i forget to put all my application with your companies that i had my, this small bone in my left leg broken playing football in 1967, but i do put all my medications and my history of my heart attack, the fact that i omitted breaking my leg in 1967, is that a grounds to resent my claim, my policy later on? under your policies right now that your company has issued? >> i admit that my big problem, tell you the medications, all the stuff but i flat forget that i broke my leg and was treated by dr., paid by the school district in 1967. >> congressmen barton, r underwriting guidelines really kind of dictate that. but it is my understanding of how are underwriting guidelines work is that since that condition would not be material and are underwriting deci

ms. beaton, would you like to start first -- he would like to be last? ms. horton, would you like to be first? will you pull the microphone first and there should be a button, pull the microphone for word. it doesn't pick up as well as it should. >> can you hear me now? >> i can hear you. >> good morning, ladies and gentlemen i want to start by thanking the kennedy for the opportunity this morning. i am pleased the congress decided to take a look at rescission so it can understand how damaging this practice has been to so many people across the country. when blue cross canceled my coverage i had no idea what recession meant but now after my life has been turned upside down the past four years of come to understand what a despicable practice it is. insurance companies require due to fill out an application that is confusing and they don't do anything to make sure you understood the questions or supplied all the information they need to decide whether they want to ensure you or not they just accept you and your premium checks. it's after you see the doctor eve

beaton's coverage would be reinstated. however, precious time was lost. luckily for robin, she was finally able to get the surgery. not through blue cross/blue shield, though, as i understand it. she's now undergoing chemotherapy because the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes. but she is still with us, thank god. and she's here today to tell us her personal story. robin's situation was what caused notice draft an amendment to represent the breast cancer bill last year to protect people like robin by prohibiting recisions of health insurance if nondisclosure of information is not related to the claim. not related to the claim, and inadvertent. there is no reason on god's green earth that somebody ought to have their health insurance revoked because of some inadvertent omission that's not related to the claim that's being submitted to the health insurance company. this bill, with my amendment, passed the house last year. but it died in the senate. it's been reintroduced and hopefully it will pass this year. i support the right of an applicant to request a

beaton all the way down to