Whereas all Americans should have access to affordable,
high-quality health care services;
Whereas more than 46 million Americans, or 16 percent of
the United States population, do not have health insurance, and nearly 5.5
million people in Texas, or 25 percent of the Texas population, are without
health insurance, which ranks Texas as the State with the largest number of
uninsured individuals;
Whereas the uninsured usually do not have a primary care
physician and rely on emergency room care for medical treatment, and costs for
primary and preventive care are much less than costs for emergency room
care;
Whereas the future of health care in the United States
will need innovative solutions to increase access to affordable health care for
the growing population;
Whereas health care decisions are best made between a
patient and his or her doctor and not by a government bureaucrat, and
competition among providers of health care services and an abundance of choices
for patients are vital components to the long-term stability of the health care
system;
Whereas the Texas legislature passed S.B. 10 in 2003,
which allowed the formation of health group cooperatives and coalitions;
Whereas the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce collaborated with
Covenant Health Systems and UMC Health System to develop the Lubbock Chamber
Employer Health Plan (the Plan
);
Whereas the Plan is available to all Chamber members to
purchase health insurance and provides small- and medium-sized businesses and
their employees with the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of membership in a
large group health insurance plan;
Whereas the Plan initially enrolled 275 groups and 3,156
individuals in May 2006 and now provides health insurance to more than 1,000
groups and more than 10,000 individuals; and
Whereas of those covered by the Plan, approximately 20
percent were previously uninsured: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)commends the State
of Texas for passing S.B. 10;
(2)commends the
Lubbock Chamber of Commerce for actively working to reduce the number of
uninsured individuals in Texas and developing a successful health care plan
that has benefitted more than 10,000 individuals in the Lubbock area;
(3)encourages other
chambers of commerce or similar groups in Texas to develop a health group
cooperative to provide access to affordable health care to all Texans;
and
(4)encourages other
States to study the Texas model and adopt similar, empowering health care
solutions.