[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 101 (Thursday, July 28, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
               UNIVERSAL COVERAGE AVOIDS HIGHER PREMIUMS

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, in the next few days this body will begin 
the national debate on health care, and I for one believe that we must 
have universal coverage in any health care reform. If we do not have 
universal coverage, middle-class Americans will be hurt. Without 
universal coverage, middle-class Americans will experience higher 
insurance premium prices. In addition, the current practice of cost 
shifting would continue and those who have insurance will continue to 
pay for the health care of those who do not. In short, middle-class 
Americans will pay more for health care unless we have universal 
coverage.
  Incremental market-based reforms will not fix the problem of 
escalating health care costs. Incremental reforms will not foster the 
competition needed to control health care spending. Insurance companies 
will still have the incentive to insure healthy people and not insure 
sick people, as my colleague from Ohio just articulated.
  To ensure that every American contributes their share to health care 
costs, we must have universal coverage. The middle class cannot 
continue to shoulder the burden of health care costs.
  Congress must act now and must include universal coverage in health 
care reform. It is time to help the middle class.

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