[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 111 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT

  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, I had prepared to deliver a speech 
this afternoon. I know that we will have ample opportunity, given the 
length and the importance of the health care debate, and so I will file 
my statement for today and deliver a speech on this issue at a later 
time.
  But I did want to take this special opportunity.
  Unfortunately, I am here doing my job in Washington, but my son is 17 
years old today. He is in Chicago and it is his birthday. I just wanted 
say happy birthday, Matt.
  I thank the chairman again.
  Mr. MOYNIHAN. And we will all say happy birthday. Let it be so 
ordered.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, we are in the midst of a historic 
debate in Congress this summer.
  Many believed that this time would never come. The naysayers and 
those who believe in the status quo have made the road to reform a 
difficult one.
  Many continue to say that we need to go slow, take our time and not 
rush congressional consideration.
  I disagree--the Finance and Labor Committees have held over 100 
hearings on health care reform and as Senator Mitchell said the other 
day:

       President Truman proposed reform in the 1940's; President 
     Nixon proposed it in the 1970's and I don't think 50 years is 
     rushing anything.

  I do agree that reforming our Nation's health care system is an 
enormous and complex task. But we were elected to tackle complex tasks 
and we have a job to do.
  One of the reasons so many new faces were elected to Congress in 
1992, was because the American people were tired of the status quo and 
wanted change.
  We continually hear that Americans are happy with their health care 
and do not want reform.
  And this morning we have heard so many horror stories of the Mitchell 
plan there is no wonder. What I would say, however, is that the 
Republicans have diverted back to a past-failed policy and are now 
engaged in the 1,000 points of fright.
  Let me start with some facts.
  I have always said that America has the best health care system in 
the world if you can afford it.
  For far too many, there is a deepening anxiety about the cost and 
availability of health care among the middle class.
  With good reason, each year fewer and fewer Americans can afford 
health care coverage. Since 1988 the number of uninsured has increased 
steadily each year from 33.9 to 37.5 million in 1992.
  I recently received a letter from a constituent that described her 
family's experience in obtaining insurance. The Pascals are self-
employed with three healthy children. Over the past 8 years they have 
been forced to change insurance carriers six times. The first company 
increased the rates on their individual family policy 600 percent in a 
5-year period. Finding the cost of that plan prohibitive, the Pascals 
joined a group plan to lower their costs. Unfortunately, the group was 
dropped because one member became sick. The family then moved back to 
an individual policy, but due to a 65-percent rate increase after the 
first year, could no longer afford it. In desperation the family 
settled on a catastrophic coverage plan--no preventive care; a $5,000 
deductible; and limits on providers. The Pascals can no longer take 
their children to their pediatrician of 12 years.

  This family has done everything right. They've even managed not to 
get sick, but affordable comprehensive coverage is still beyond their 
reach. Clearly, our system should not work this way. Not for the self-
employed and not for the employed with employer-provided coverage.
  Statistics indicate, however, that over half of employed Americans 
who receive coverage through their employer, have had their health 
benefits cut back or have had their employee contribution increased 
during the last 2 years.
  No wonder a poll taken by the Los Angeles Times last week showed that 
60 percent of the respondents were worried about losing their current 
coverage.
  Some say, ``if it ain't broke don't fix it.'' Those are the folks who 
benefit from the status quo.
  There are problems in the system and cosmetic surgery won't do the 
trick. Our current health care system is simply unaffordable.
  Millions of Americans like the Pascal family cannot afford it, our 
Government cannot afford it and our Nation cannot afford it.
  Last year we spent $1 out of every $7 on health care. That amounts to 
14.3 percent of GDP and a total of $898 billion.
  Health are costs are rising at twice the rate of inflation.
  Medicare and Medicaid, the two Federal programs financed in part by 
the Federal Government eat up nearly one-fourth of the entire Federal 
budget.
  Since 1980 Medicare has increased from $32 to $131 billion in 1993, 
an average annual growth rate of 11.5 percent.
  Not only has Medicaid become one of the fastest growing components of 
the Federal Government, many State budgets, including my home State of 
Illinois are being crippled by rising Medicaid costs.
  These exploding governmental health care system costs not only add to 
government deficits and debt, they make government less able to meet 
other important social needs. Take education for example. Last year, 
for the very first time, State governments spent more on Medicaid than 
they spent on education.
  If you want U.S. businesses to be able to compete against their 
foreign competitors, health care reform is essential. If you want to 
see real deficit reduction, health care reform is essential.
  And finally, if you want to find the money to deal with the problems 
plaguing our cities--education, welfare, job training, and crime--
health care reform is essential.
  What this means is that every American has an interest in fundamental 
comprehensive reform of our health care system.
  Curing our sick health care system is the biggest challenge of this 
decade, maybe even this century. It is time to act.
  Now it is time to take a look at the entire system and take a 
comprehensive approach.
  The Congress has a window of opportunity to move forward in an area 
that has a profound impact on each and every American and the economy 
of this Nation.
  This morning the Republicans have spent the majority of their time 
bashing the Mitchell bill, but very few have even mentioned the plan 
that they advocate.
  As I see it we have two options. One is to use the Mitchell bill as a 
base for building health care security for the American people, the 
other is to use the Dole plan signed onto by the majority of the 
Republicans in this body.
  I have believed from the beginning that in order to be successful 
health care reform must include four essential elements: universal 
coverage; choice; high quality care; and, cost containment.
  Let us take a moment to contrast the two plans:
  The Mitchell bill puts us on the road toward universal coverage. 
According to the CBO, the Mitchell bill will reach 95 percent coverage 
by 1997 and the employer-mandate provision will result in universal 
coverage by 2002.
  The Dole bill does not seek to achieve universal coverage and will 
leave 30 million Americans uninsured.
  The Mitchell plan significantly improves and expands coverage for 
millions of Americans: All children and pregnant women up to 300 
percent--$44,000--of the poverty level would be covered; preexisting 
conditions exclusions will be eliminated; coverage would be portable; 
insurance discrimination based on age and geographic location will be 
eliminated.
  Under the Dole bill children will not be guaranteed coverage, 
insurance discrimination will continue, including preexisting condition 
exclusions, and coverage will only be portable if you can pay 100 
percent of the premium. The Mitchell bill also guarantees choice.
  Every American will have a choice of at least three private insurance 
plans--fee for service, HMO, point of service plan.
  The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program [FEHBP], available now 
to the Congress and Federal employees, will be available to many more 
Americans.
  High quality care will be maintained. Funds will be made available 
through an assessment on premiums for graduate medical education and 
for biomedical research--NIH Trust Fund--and health care services 
research.
  A National Quality Council will be established to set national 
quality goals/standards and performance standards for health plans.
  Consumer information and advocacy centers will be created to 
disseminate information, hear grievances, and provide consumer 
education.
  Health plans must ensure that enrollees have access to specialty 
care.
  The Dole plan does not even address the quality issue.
  The Mitchell plan has included cost containment measures.
  The Dole plan relies on capping Medicaid, and reducing Medicare 
reimbursement to doctors and hospitals.
  Medicare already pays providers less than the cost of care. If these 
cuts were to go into effect, Illinois would see a reduction of $1.28 
billion in reimbursement to Illinois providers in the first 5 years of 
the Dole plan.
  There is no question that the Mitchell bill is a better alternative.
  Many wonder what this plan means for real people. Some on the other 
side of the aisle would have you believe that the bill would create a 
bureaucratic maze that bankrupts the American people.
  Let me, for a moment, add a real life example to the mix--the Pascal 
family I mentioned earlier. The Mitchell bill would vastly improve 
their coverage.
  The Pascal family could join a health insurance purchasing 
cooperative or HIPC. They would be a part of a large pool, pay much 
less in premiums than they do now, and could not be dropped because 
some members of the pool became sick.
  They could choose from at least three types of health plans. They 
could even choose to enter the FEHBP program, available to Congress. 
All of their choices would offer comprehensive care.
  They could choose a plan that allows them to pick their favorite 
providers.
  The Mitchell plan will also afford them what so many Americans lack 
right now--peace of mind. No longer would they worry about their 
ability to afford care if one of their children becomes sick.
  An analysis of the Dole plan reported in Newsweek last week found 
that premiums would probably increase for the middle class under the 
Dole plan. For the Pascal family that would mean higher premiums, no 
more choice than they have now, and no health care security.
  The Mitchell plan takes care of middle-class Americans like the 
Pascal family. They, and millions of other Americans, cannot wait for 
reform. We must act now.
  The choice is clear--if you want the status quo, to pay more for 
health care, leave millions of uninsured, and continue the upward 
spiral of our health care costs, choose the Dole plan.
  For an alternative that increases coverage, improves the quality of 
health care, and affords Americans choice, then you start with the 
Mitchell bill.
  There will be changes to the Mitchell bill and there are several 
areas that I believe can be strengthened.
  For the next few weeks I will be working with my colleagues to ensure 
that the bill passed by the Senate is the best bill possible.
  The time to act is now. Let's not squander the chance.

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