[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 133 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. J. RES. 133

 To ensure that Members of Congress participate on an equal basis with 
 their constituents in the health care system that results from health 
                        care reform legislation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 15 (legislative day, September 7), 1993

Mr. Wellstone introduced the following joint resolution; which was read 
    twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
 To ensure that Members of Congress participate on an equal basis with 
 their constituents in the health care system that results from health 
                        care reform legislation.

Whereas Congress is expected to consider legislation in the near future that 
        would offer health insurance plans at different prices;
Whereas the reform is likely to include a standard health care plan designed to 
        be affordable to average Americans, but also will make more expensive 
        plans available to those who can afford them;
Whereas differences in the prices of the plans could result in differences in 
        quality, and could also affect an individual's ability to choose between 
        managed care and fee for service plans;
Whereas the best guarantee of equity in a social program is to include people of 
        all income levels and social classes in the same system with the same 
        benefits, as is the case in the health care systems of most other 
        industrialized countries;
Whereas Members of Congress should not create a system designed to impel 
        millions of their constituents to join health care plans they themselves 
        are unwilling to join;
Whereas Members of Congress who participate in the standard, average-priced 
        health care plan in their congressional district can provide an 
        immediate warning of quality problems, deficiencies, and underservice, 
        and can thus ensure that everyone, regardless of income, place of 
        residence, health status, or employment will have access to quality 
        health care; and
Whereas public disclosure of the health care plans in which Members of Congress 
        are enrolled would serve to keep providers and constituents aware of the 
        stake that Members have in assuring the quality and efficiency of such 
        health care plans: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That all Members of Congress 
should enroll in a standard health care plan available at their home of 
record that charges no more than the average premium for the area, and 
that all Members of Congress should disclose publicly on an annual 
basis the health care plans in which they have enrolled.

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