[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
               UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE NEEDED

  (Mr. SKAGGS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, some are arguing that we really do not need 
universal insurance coverage to fix what is wrong with our health care 
system. We can just do insurance reform and that will be enough, they 
hope, to get costs under control. I think that they are wrong. Health 
care costs cannot be brought under control unless every one is 
participating fairly and that basically means universal coverage.
  Right now we have universal treatment. If someone gets sick and goes 
to the hospital, they are going to get care. But who pays the bill? 
Well, it is typically the next person, the next patient who comes in, 
who is lucky enough to have insurance. This kind of cost shifting is 
one of the major ingredients in the escalating costs of our health care 
system, a major reason why in most hospitals an aspirin costs more than 
half a tank of gas.
  It is also why so many businesses are not providing insurance--
because costs are too high and going up too fast. Yet their competitors 
down the street, who are good enough to provide insurance for their 
employees, are basically carrying the burden for those that do not buy 
coverage.
  This Congress has got to realize that we are already paying for the 
uninsured in the most expensive and inefficient ways. Universal 
coverage is an essential part of meaningful health care reform.

                          ____________________