[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E1485]]



   CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3103, HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND 
                       ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 1, 1996

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this health 
insurance reform conference report. I am pleased that Congress has put 
aside partisan politics and found agreement on these commonsense steps 
that will help millions of people to buy and keep health insurance.
  This legislation is exactly the kind of assistance the American 
people want and need from Congress to address the challenges they face 
in their daily lives.
  It will help employees who change or lose jobs to continue to buy 
health insurance for themselves and their families. It will help people 
with preexisting health conditions--those are most likely to need 
health care--to buy insurance. It will help self-employed people to buy 
health insurance by increasing the tax deduction for the self-employed 
from 30 to 80 percent. And it will help senior citizens and others 
needing long-term care to afford these very expensive services by 
providing necessary tax relief.
  These modest reforms will give peace of mind to millions of families 
without imposing new costs on businesses and government and without 
adding to the bureaucracy. This is an example of what Congress can do 
when we put common sense and the public interest first.
  As a sponsor of the Democratic version of this legislation, I am 
pleased that the conference agreement closely reflects the priorities 
that we offered earlier this year. It focuses on reforms that do have 
broad, bipartisan support and that will make an immediate, positive 
difference for millions of people and it takes a responsible, slower 
approach to testing new approaches such as medical savings accounts. I 
applaud those who developed the compromise on MSA's and their 
willingness not to let this controversy hold up other provisions in 
this legislation.
  I want to highlight several provisions of this conference report.
  This conference report will increase the tax deduction for the health 
insurance for the self-employed from 30 to 80 percent, a critical 
provision in the Democratic substitute that affords the same treatment 
to the self-employed as we do to corporations. For many self-employed 
people, this tax deduction will make health insurance more affordable 
and cost-effective.
  The conference report prohibits discrimination against people with 
preexisting health conditions and guarantees that workers can keep 
their health insurance if they change or lose their jobs. No longer 
will Americans fear losing their insurance due to a medical condition 
such as diabetes or breast cancer. Health insurance companies would be 
prohibited from excluding coverage of a preexisting condition for more 
than 12 months. This 12-month period would be reduced by the time 
period for which the individual was covered under a previous group-
based plan. For individuals who lose their jobs, health insurance 
companies would be required to offer the choice of two plans. To 
protect individuals, these plans would have to be priced at a level 
similar to other popular individual plans.
  This conference agreement requires the renewal of health insurance 
coverage for those Americans who pay their premiums. This consumer 
protection will ensure that families can continue to keep their health 
insurance as long as they continue to pay premiums for this coverage.
  This conference report also provides new incentives for Americans to 
provide for their long-term care. With the average cost of $40,000 per 
person for long-term care services, it is critical that we provide 
relief for American families. This legislation allows taxpayers to 
deduct qualified long-term care expenses, including premiums for long-
term-care insurance, as an itemized medical deduction. This legislation 
also permits terminally ill and chronically ill patients to receive 
their life insurance benefits prior to death without paying taxes on 
such benefits. Both of the tax provisions should help American families 
to deal with the costs of medical treatments.
  The conference legislation includes provisions to discourage fraud. I 
strongly believe we should not tolerate fraud and abuse in our medical 
system. This section ensures that medical professionals who commit 
fraud will be prosecuted for these acts, without imposing unnecessary 
burdens on medical providers.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge approval of this commonsense, bipartisan, and 
long-overdue legislation.

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