[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         A RESPONSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE APPROACH TO HEALTH REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is recognized 
during morning business for 4 minutes.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, Monday night a week ago the President pounded 
on his bully pulpit in Boston and decreed that the Republicans have no 
viable health reform alternative. He was frustrated. He was wrong. Two 
nights later his own party proved that by attacking the GOP health plan 
during the first House Oxford debate. I don't blame Democrats for not 
wanting to defend Clinton's plan. I sat through countless Republican 
meetings on the subject--and met regularly representatives from the 
White House last spring to present Republican ideas and concerns about 
health. Republicans have introduced several comprehensive health bills. 
Each is distinguishable from the President's plan in two respects: 
First, Republican plans rely much less on new taxes and new Government 
bureaucracies--depending much more on directly empowering individuals 
to make their own choices in a reformed and revitalized market. Second, 
Republicans seek to pay for reforms. Rather than throw new taxes and 
more debt at a system notorious for waste and inefficiency, Republican 
reform bills redirect wasteful spending to worthy purposes--and reward 
innovation and cost-effectiveness. The most widely supported Republican 
health bill is H.R. 3080, the Affordable Health Care Now Act, crafted 
by Members of the Republican leader's task force on health reform. We 
spent more than 2 years studying the problems in our current system 
taking testimony and developing reasonable user friendly solutions. 
H.R. 3080 has 142 cosponsors--more than any other reform proposal now 
before Congress--and many of its provisions were included in the reform 
bill passed by the Democratic controlled Senate in 1992. Unfortunately, 
the acknowledged value of H.R. 3080's provisions are summarily 
dismissed by critics who say the bill does not go far enough and 
guarantee universal coverage. In practical terms, though, what good is 
declaring health care a right? Ask the veterans in my area what a right 
entitles you to if the system you depend on is underfunded or 
inadequate. Rather than holding out false promises, H.R. 3080 addressed 
the two biggest needs we see today in our health system--making 
affordable insurance more accessible to those in need and attacking the 
rising cost of care. It does these things without creating new 
bureaucracies or raising huge new taxes. By comparison, CBO estimated 
the President's bill will increase the deficit by $136 billion over the 
next 8 years. Another study of the President's bill found it contains 
818 new regulatory mandates, would require more than 2,000 pages of 
Federal regulations and would monopolize the attention of 100,000 
public employees. Seeking to avoid a massive collectivization of the 
health sector by Government, we attempted to fix what is obviously 
broken by building on what works. For instance, of the 37 million 
uninsured, nearly 80 percent are working or are dependents of someone 
who is employed. And most work for small businesses, which have less 
market power in negotiating group insurance rates. H.R. 3080 encourages 
formation of larger, multiple-employer purchasing arrangements, and 
requires small group insurers to offer three different standardized 
insurance options to all small employers. Our bill then requires 
employers to offer, but not pay for one of the plans. To ensure 
affordable coverage, restrictions on premium variances between groups 
and limits on annual premium increases are imposed. Individuals whose 
employers do not pick up the tab can deduct the cost of their 
unsubsidized premiums. Or they can purchase a catastrophic insurance 
plan and establish a medical saving account--all with before-tax 
dollars. These tax changes and insurance market reforms should provide 
immediate relief to the vast majority of those who cannot access 
adequate care today. But the bill does more to ensure access. 
Recognizing recent innovations in the Medicaid Program, and broader 
initiatives like that now being discussed in Florida, the bill gives 
States the flexibility to revise Medicaid programs. Finally, the bill 
includes substantial new funds for community-based health centers 
already providing care--at cost-effective rates--for those who fall 
through the cracks. Our approach, unlike the Clinton plan, won't force 
the 80 percent of Americans who are generally satisfied with their care 
to give up their insurance--for some new, unproven plan. I hope the 
President will read H.R. 3080 and understand that there are 
alternatives for reform--Republicans have offered some real choices all 
Americans will want to consider.

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