[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 26 (Thursday, March 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                            HEALTH COVERAGE

 Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, there are only three ways to 
guarantee that all Americans have health coverage. First, we can 
increase taxes and let the Federal Government pay for health care. 
Second, we could shift the entire burden onto families, through an 
individual mandate, leaving a middle-class family to pay roughly 17 
percent of its after-tax income on health care. According to one 
analysis, this type of family mandate would impose a marginal tax rate 
of 47 percent for families between 100 percent and 200 percent of 
poverty. Finally, we could build on the current system and require that 
all employers share with their employees the responsibility for paying 
premiums. The last option makes the most sense, since 84 percent of the 
uninsured live in families where the head of the household is employed, 
but does not receive coverage through the workplace.
  Currently, two-thirds of all nonelderly Americans receive their 
coverage through the workplace. It is a system that has worked well for 
many Americans for decades, and one Americans know and support. Why not 
build on a system that works, rather than start a completely new one 
that shifts costs entirely onto families?
  The majority of employers who do provide health coverage for the 
workers are paying right now for the employers who do not. In 1991, 
employers who sponsored health insurance for their employees footed a 
bill totaling $10.8 billion for uncompensated care and also paid $26.4 
billion to cover spouses, and other dependents, who are employed by 
noninsuring firms. We must put an end to this type of unfair cost 
shifting.
  Coupling strong cost containment with a requirement that employers 
share responsibility for health coverage will not result in job loss. 
In fact, according to the nonpartisan Employee Benefits Research 
Institute, implementation of the Health Security Act could result in a 
net gain of up to 660,000 jobs. Further, the CBO estimated that 
businesses would save $90 billion in 1 year under the Clinton plan, 
with larger gains in subsequent years.
  This debate is not about whether or not we should have a mandate. We 
have a mandate right now--the status quo mandate that those who pay for 
their health care pay for those who do not. This is the most 
inefficient and unacceptable mandate of all.
  According to a Washington Post survey, 73 percent of Americans 
support an employer requirement for full-time workers and 69 percent 
for part-time employees. A Wall Street Journal poll found that 65 
percent of Americans support shared responsibility for small firms.
  Support for workplace based benefits continues to gain momentum 
around the country. I am releasing today a letter signed by 110 
national organizations, businesses, and unions supporting employer 
mandates as a fair, effective, and practical means for achieving 
universal coverage. The letter represents millions of working American 
families that believe all employers should share the responsibility for 
the well-being of their employees.
  The 115 signatures on the letter represent a broad base of support 
among a wide variety of groups. The signers include the AARP and the 
National Council on the Aging, American Hospital Association, 
Children's Defense Fund, a number of unions including the UAW, American 
Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the SEIU, 
consumers, like Families USA and the Consumer Union. Lane Kirkland from 
the AFL-CIO sends his support for the employer shared responsibility, 
as well. Large corporations have also pledged their support with the 
National Leadership Coalition for Health Care Reforms endorsement of 
employer responsibility. The coalition represents over 100 businesses, 
industries, and unions.
  American workers want a health care system that guarantees universal 
coverage for every American and the cost be shared between employers 
and employees. Today's letter sends a clear message to all members of 
the House and Senate, that shared responsibility is a must-do in our 
health care debate.
  Mr. President, I ask that the organizational letter of support and 
the March 9, 1994, letter from the AFL-CIO be printed in its entirety 
in the Record as follows:
  The material follows:
                                                    March 9, 1994.
       Dear Member/Senator: Health security for all Americans, 
     that guarantees that no one lacks or loses high-quality 
     health care coverage, is an essential element of health care 
     reform. We believe that this objective should be achieved for 
     working families by requiring all employers to provide and 
     help subsidize health care coverage for their employees. We 
     believe that such an employer mandate should be enacted for 
     several reasons.
       An employer mandate builds on our current employer-based 
     insurance system and would be the least disruptive way to 
     achieve universal coverage. It would be fair in that all 
     employers and employees would be responsible for contribution 
     towards coverage. It would level the playing field among 
     different employers, most of whom provide such coverage 
     today. And it would eliminate large, unpredictable and 
     inequitable cost shifts that employers bear today for the 
     uninsured workers of other employers. We recognize that some 
     employers (and employees) will need financial help to meet 
     their obligations. We, of course, support providing necessary 
     subsidies.
  We believe that an employer mandate is a fair, effective and 
practical means for achieving universal coverage. We, therefore, urge 
its adoption.


            Organizations Endorsing Employer-based Insurance

       ACME Steel Company.
       AIDS Action Council.
       Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
       Ambulatory Pediatric Association.
       American Association for Partial Hospitalization.
       American Association of Pastoral Counselors.
       American Association of Retired Persons.
       American Association of University Professors.
       American Association on Mental Retardation.
       American College of Nurse-Midwives.
       American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
       American College of Physicians.
       American Counseling Association.
       American Federation of Government Employees.
       American Federation of Teachers.
       American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees.
       American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees 
     Retiree Program.
       American Geriatrics Society.
       American Hospital Association.
       American Lung Association.
       American Medical Student Association.
       American Medical Women's Association.
       American Nurses Association.
       American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO.
       American Psychological Association.
       American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
       American Thoracic Society.
       Amputee Coalition of America.
       Asociacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores.
        Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.
       Association of Community Action Agencies.
       Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now 
     (ACORN).
       Association of Schools and Public Health.
       Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO.
       Association of Maternal and Child Health Program.
       Bakery, Confectionery & Tobacco Workers International 
     Union.
       Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.
       Bethlehm Steel.
       Catholic Health Association of the United States.
       Center for Community Changes.
       Center for Science in the Public Interest.
       Center for Women Policy Studies.
       Center on Disability and Health.
       Ceridian Association.
       Children's Defense Fund.
       Chrysler Corporation.
       Coalition on Human Needs.
       Consumers Union.
       Eldercare America, Inc.
       Epilepsy Foundation of America.
       Families USA.
       Health Care for the Homeless Project, Inc.
       Independent Federation of Flight Attendants.
       International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation 
     Services.
       International Association of Fire Fighters.
       International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
       International Union, UAW.
       International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen.
       International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, 
     Machine and Furniture Workers, AFL-CIO (IUE).
       Jesuit Social Ministries, National Office.
       Laborers International Union.
       League of Women Voters of the U.S.
       Legal Action Center.
       National Asian Pacific Center on Aging.
       National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse 
     Counselors.
       National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
       National Association of Child Advocates.
       National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related 
     National Institutions.
       National Association of Community Action Agencies.
       National Association of Community Health Centers.
       National Association of Homes and Services for Children.
       National Association of Professional Geriatric Care 
     Managers.
       National Association of Public Hospitals.
       National Association of Social Workers.
       National Caucus and Center on Black Aged.
       National Community Mental Healthcare Council.
       National Consumers League.
       National Council of Senior Citizens.
       National Education Association.
       National Federation of Societies for Clinical Social Work.
       National Hispanic Council on Aging.
       National Leadership Coalition for Health Care Reform.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     \1\The National Leadership Coalition for Health Care Reform 
     is made up of over 100 organizational members--corporations, 
     industrial companies, unions, consumer groups and health care 
     providers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
       National Mental Health Association.
       National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
       National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
       National Urban Coalition.
       National Parent Network on Disabilities.
       National Women's Health Network.
       National Women Law Center.
       NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby.
       New Ways to Work.
       Older Women's League.
       Project Vote Fund.
       Rohm & Haas Company.
       Rural Advancement Fund.
       Save Our Security.
       Service Employees International Union.
       Society of Adolescent Medicine.
       Southern California Edison Company.
       The American State of the Art Prosthetic.
       The Arc.
       The Children's Foundation.
       The Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health.
       The National Council on the Aging, Inc.
       United Auto Workers.
       United Cerebral Palsy Association.
       United Food and Commercial Workers Union
       United Auto Workers Retired and Older Workers Department.
       United Mine Workers of America.
       United Steelworkers.
       Washington Ethical Action Office/AEU.
       Women's Legal Defense Fund.
       World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation-U.S. 
     Branch.
       YWCA of the U.S.A.
                                  ____



  MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COALITION FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM

       Acme Steel Company.
       Amalgamated Clothing & Textile Workers Union, AFL-CIO.
       American Academy of Family Physicians.
       American Academy of Pediatrics.
       American Association of Retired Persons.
       American Automobile Manufacturers' Association.
       American College of Physicians.
       American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.
       American Iron & Steel Institute.
       American Nurses Association, Inc.
       American Physical Therapy Association.
       American Psychological Association.
       Association of Academic Health Centers.
       Association of Minority Health Professional Schools.
       B.C. Enterprises.
       Bank South Corporation.
       Bannon Research.
       Bethlehem Steel Corporation.
       Blue Diamond Growers.
       Brown & Cole Stores.
       Burlington Coat Factory.
       Caterpillar Inc.
       Ceridian Corporation.
       Christian Children's Fund.
       Chrysler Corporation.
       Cold Finished Steel Bar Institute.
       Communication Workers of America.
       CoreStates Financial Corp.
       Del Monte Foods.
       Drummond Company Inc.
       Families USA Foundation.
       Filter Materials.
       First Interstate Bancorp.
       Ford Motor Company.
       General Motors Corporation.
       Georgia-Pacific Corporation.
       Giant Food Inc.
       The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc.
       Gross Electric Inc.
       The Heights Group.
       H.J. Heinz Co.
       Hunt-Wesson Inc.
       Inland Steel Company.
       INSIGHT Treatment Services, Inc.
       International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
       International Multifoods.
       International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen.
       James River Corporation.
       Johnstown Corporation.
       Keebler Company.
       Keller Glass Company.
       Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Co.
       Lockheed Corporation.
       LTV Steel Company.
       Lukens Inc.
       Maternity Center Association.
       Maytag and Admiral Products.
       National Association of Childbearing Centers.
       National Association of State Boards of Education.
       National Easter Seal Society.
       National Education Association.
       National Steel Corporation.
       Norwest Corporation.
       Olympia West Plaza, Inc.
       Pacific Gas & Electric.
       PAR Associates.
       Pella Corporation.
       Preferred Benefits.
       R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.
       Ralphs Grocery Company
       Regis Corporation.
       Rohm & Haas Company.
       Safeway Inc.
       Sara Lee Corporation.
       Scott Paper Co.
       Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO.
       Sokolov Strategic Alliance.
       Southern California Edison Company.
       Strategic Marketing Information, Inc.
       Texas Heart Institute.
       Time Warner Inc.
       United Air Lines, Inc.
       United Food and Commerical Workers International Union, 
     AFL-CIO.
       United Paperworkers International Union, AFL-CIO
       United States Catholic Conference.
       United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO
       U.S. Bancorp.
       The Vons Companies, Inc.
       Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
       Wheat, First Securities, Inc.
       Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.
       The Whitment Group.
       Wisconsin Public Service Corporation.
       Xerox Corporation.
                                  ____

         American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial 
           Organizations,
                                    Washington, DC, March 9, 1994.
       Dear Senator: Universal coverage that guarantees that no 
     one lacks or loses high-quality health care coverage is the 
     cornerstone of comprehensive health care reform. The AFL-CIO 
     believes the best way to achieve this objective is by 
     requiring all employers to provide and help subsidize health 
     care coverage for their employees.
       An employer mandate builds on our current employer-based 
     insurance system and would be the least disruptive way to 
     achieve universal coverage. It would level the playing field 
     among different employers, most of whom provide such coverage 
     today. And it would eliminate large, unpredictable and 
     inequitable cost shifts that employers bear today for the 
     uninsured workers of other employers. We recognize that some 
     employers (and employees) will need financial help to meet 
     their obligations. We, of course, support providing necessary 
     subsidies.
       The AFL-CIO believes that an employer mandate is a fair, 
     effective and practical means for achieving universal 
     coverage. We believe it is essential to any acceptable health 
     care package.
           Sincerely,
                                              Robert M. McGlotten,
     Director, Department of Legislation.

                          ____________________