[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  HEALTH CARE CRISIS: MANY AMERICANS ARE ONE PAYCHECK AWAY FROM BEING 
                               UNINSURED

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, remarkable as it may seem, there are some 
who are saying we do not have a health care crisis in this country. We 
all have heard that there are over 35 million people who are without 
health insurance. But the figures are even larger than that: In the 
course of 1 year, 51 million people will be without health insurance at 
some time or another; around 80 million Americans in our country have a 
preexisting condition which will prevent them from having health 
insurance or renewing health insurance.
  Around 80 million people also have restrictive lifetime benefit caps 
on their health insurance. Sometimes they do not even know that until 
they become ill a second time.
  Many, many millions of Americans will pay more for health care 
insurance in this year than they did last year for the same or less 
coverage.
  One such is a constituent of mine who wrote on November 24 that he 
had worked hard all his life and received a notice from his health 
insurance company stating that, ``Effective January 1, 1994, your 
monthly payment of $120 will be changed to $252 per month.'' It went 
from $1,440 to a $3,000 premium per year.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a man who has worked all his life; he is a 
retiree. He said, ``I believe that the rate increase is unfair. I am 
left without a choice. I need insurance for my family and myself.''
  Mr. Speaker, this letter, I believe, speaks well as to the need for 
health care reform, for universal coverage for all Americans.

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