[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 48 (Thursday, April 28, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     AN EMPLOYER MANDATE WON'T WORK

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, if an employer mandate were to pass, my 
State of Colorado would lose 15,000 jobs.
  As we move health care reform forward, it is important that we review 
each proposal and each policy thoroughly. Unfortunately, many in this 
Congress have taken at face value that an employer mandate will 
guarantee universal coverage. The fact is, there is no empirical data 
available anywhere in the world, let alone in this country that 
suggests an employer mandate is an effective mechanism for providing 
universal coverage.
  If we review the available information we will find that even in 
those countries that supposedly provide universal coverage, a 
significant portion of the population is actually not covered. For 
instance, in France universal coverage is defined as 95 percent 
coverage. The best they have ever achieved is 5 percent uninsured. If 
you look closer to home at Hawaii, which has had an employer mandate 
for 20 years, you will find the uninsured rate is 8.1 percent. A recent 
analysis by Andrew Dick found that high rates of coverage has more to 
do with the characteristics of the population than the effectiveness of 
an employer mandate.
  Clearly, we should review all of the available data before we blindly 
accept the assertions that an employer mandate is the only means of 
achieving universal coverage. It is amazing that one can look at the 
level of insurance coverage available in America today, under which 85 
percent of the population is covered under a 100-percent voluntary 
system, and come to the conclusion that we must enforce a job killing 
employer mandate to provide coverage for the 15 percent of the 
population currently not covered.
  The most ironic part of this debate is that an employer mandate is 
not a necessary component of successful health care reform. We should 
be moving forward with debate on the many issues upon which there is 
broad bipartisan support and enact real bipartisan reform.

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