[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 61 (Tuesday, May 17, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       HEALTH CARE REFORM UPDATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, the gentleman from Wyoming [Mr. Thomas] is 
recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMAS of Wyoming. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed to see that 
what has started, and properly started, as meaningful debate on how to 
reform the Nation's health care delivery system, it has turned into a 
political vehicle relating to the elections in 1994.
  It has changed from efforts to strengthen the delivery system, which 
it surely needs, to one driven by political imperative to get something 
done, whether or not it is useful, but if it has political 
ramifications.
  While Congress sits on the sidelines offering scaled-down versions of 
President Clinton's plan, Americans are either going without coverage 
or locked in often to a job for fear of losing coverage. The No. 1 fix 
Congress could make today to help millions of Americans is to prohibit 
being rejected by preexisting conditions.
  This is not the only reform that Republicans and Democrats agree 
upon. We agree that self-employed business owners should be allowed to 
fully deduct the cost of health insurance premiums. We believe 
insurance companies must offer a basic benefit package for physician 
and hospital care, preventive and diagnostic care. We believe medical 
schools should place higher priority on primary care. We also believe 
that administrative paperwork could and should be reduced, and the 
costs therein being reduced as well.
  I would hope we could reach consensus on some other reforms, such as 
antitrust barriers which would allow small hospitals and doctors to 
work together to develop a delivery system in States like mine in 
Wyoming, where you have to move people to regional centers; to enact 
malpractice reform, tort reform, and allow small rural hospitals to 
downsize to emergency medical centers.
  I realize that there are some differences on these issues that may 
require further debate, but these areas of disagreement do not preempt 
Congress from its responsibilities. If the majority is serious about 
health care reform, it should act now to deal with those issues upon 
which we can agree and which are practical to do.
  Because support for the President's Government-run program has 
dropped, the majority is beginning to offer scaled-down versions. The 
proposals range from delaying price controls to limiting the size of 
businesses affected by employer mandates. But no one limits the 
involvement in the role of the Federal Government. Employer mandates, 
it seems to me, could be something that we should be and must be 
concerned about, even though they are offered at a very modest level. 
And Congress may say, ``Well, it only affects a few, we will exempt 
businesses with 5 or 10 and pay subsidies.'' The fact is, once employer 
mandates are established, once employers are required to pay, you will 
see enacted in Congress each year legislation expanding the mandate, 
saying, ``It doesn't cost a thing, taxpayers,'' and raising the 
contributions that are required from employers.

  Each scaled-down version still establishes Government entities called 
health alliances to pool consumers, bargain with employers, and collect 
premiums. They each contain a national health board which would be in 
charge of one-seventh of this country's economy. And they each require 
the establishment of a national information system to collect health 
care data on every individual. These are not the changes that we need.
  It is time Congress started listening to the American people. Their 
requests are practical and affordable. They do not want Government in 
charge of health care. They already see what happens when the Federal 
Government calls the shots--taxes go up, quality goes down, and choices 
are taken away.
  Americans simply want to purchase coverage at an affordable price. 
They do not want to trade the problem of uninsurance for the problem of 
unemployment.
  Americans want to be covered if they have a preexisting condition, 
and they want the flexibility of changing jobs and still keep their 
insurance. Most of all, they want the freedom to stay with the same 
insurance plan they have and see the same doctor they have seen all 
their lives.
  It is time Congress honors these requests.

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