[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 79 (Tuesday, June 21, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    UNIVERSAL COVERAGE NECESSARY FOR A TRULY FAIR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

  (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, for months now, Democrats have been 
fighting for a health care plan that covers every single American. It 
is easy to forget why guaranteed coverage is more than just another 
part of the plan.
  The fact is, the only way to keep health care costs from bankrupting 
families and businesses is by making sure everybody is in the system.
  First of all, let us remember who pays for the uninsured--those of us 
who have insurance. That is not health care--it is stealth care. It is 
a hidden tax that drives up the cost of health insurance. Guaranteed 
coverage is the only way to stop it.
  Second, some say that if employers help to provide health care, it 
will destroy jobs. But when you look at the costs of providing 
coverage, it is less than a minimum wage increase.
  Recent minimum wage increases have not destroyed jobs. Many believe 
they have led to higher employment. And a recent study concluded that 
health care reform will create tens of thousands of jobs as well.
  Finally, there is the question of responsibility. Is it fair for some 
of us to pay the cost of the uninsured? Is it fair for some of us to 
pay higher premiums because others will not pitch in?
  Getting every American involved is simply the only way health care 
can work.
  And when the real debate begins--when we start talking about the real 
principles that lead to guaranteed coverage--I believe we will create a 
health care system that is truly fair for all Americans.

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