[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 96 (Friday, July 17, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H5743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ``HEALTHMARTS'' AND THE QUEST FOR QUALITY

  (Mr. BLILEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, the health care debate has been full of 
surprises. One of my favorites was the statement that there is no true 
marketplace today to drive health care equality. The surprise is not 
what was said, but who said it: Ron Pollack of Families USA, a leading 
supporter of President Clinton's efforts to nationalize health care.
  Well, he and a lot of other health experts are right, we do not have 
a real health care market, and that is the problem.
  Think about it: The last time you bought a car, you did not go to 
your bank, your credit union or GMAC first. You went to a dealership, 
talked to the salespeople and took a test drive. Then you arranged your 
financing. The car you bought was determined by your personal needs and 
preferences, not by the bank or credit union that financed it.
  Why cannot health care operate the same way?
  The legislation developed by the Speaker's Working Group on Health 
Care Quality includes a provision creating HealthMarts. HealthMarts are 
private, voluntary and competitive health insurance supermarkets. They 
will transfer choice within the current market from small employers to 
their employees and dependents.
  HealthMarts would give millions of consumers the freedom to choose 
their health coverage from a menu of options. These options could 
include managed care and fee-for-service plans, coverage offered by 
provider-sponsored organizations, and medical savings accounts.

                          ____________________