[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E458-E459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               EXPANDING CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARTIN OLAV SABO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 1999

  Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, one out of every seven children is growing up 
without health insurance. These 11.6 million children--including 76,000 
in my home state of Minnesota--are less likely to get preventive care 
to keep them healthy, or see a doctor when they get sick. This lack of 
health insurance coverage can have lasting effects. For example, 
children whose ear infections go undiagnosed and untreated can suffer 
from permanent hearing loss.
  Sadly there are signs that the prognosis for the health of America's 
children is getting worse. The percentage of children covered by 
private insurance has declined from 71.5% in 1990 to 67% in 1997. 
Additionally, premium costs for family coverage are on the rise, 
placing health insurance beyond the reach of an increasing number of 
working families.
  It is time for all of us to commit to solving this problem. Today, I 
am introducing two bills that would move us in the direction of a 
comprehensive solution.
  First, I am introducing the Children's Health Coverage Improvement 
Act of 1999. This legislation would make children's-only policies 
widely available at group rates to employees who are already covered by 
a group policy.

[[Page E459]]

Federally regulated self-insured health plans would be required to 
offer these policies as one of the options available to covered 
employees.
  Many low-income working families simply cannot find room in the 
family budget to pay the increasingly large premiums for family 
policies. Moreover, many financially-strapped single parents cannot 
afford to pay family premiums designed to cover two adults plus 
children. Kids-only policies could provide an answer for these hard-
working and hard-pressed families.
  This legislation is sensitive to employers' concerns that they cannot 
assume further insurance costs. Instead of requiring an employer to 
shoulder a specified portion of insurance costs, this bill allows the 
dynamics of the group insurance market to create affordable children's-
only policies for the dependents of group health plan beneficiaries.
  I am also introducing a second bill to enhance the well-being of 
federal employees' children. This legislation would allow enrollees in 
the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to purchase an 
employee and children-only benefit option at a lower cost than current 
family coverage options.
  My bill would help those federal employees who, because of cost, 
defer purchasing family health coverage. The bill authorizes the Office 
of Personnel Management to offer group-rated employee and children only 
coverage to enrollees of the FEHBP.
  There is a real need for a health insurance product that better 
addresses the needs of low-income and non-traditional families than 
family policies that are currently available. Group-rated employee and 
children-only policies would help meet this unfilled need.
  Shoring up the decline in employer-sponsored health care is one way 
to help get kids insured. America's 11,600,000 uninsured children need 
help. It's time for all of us--in the private and public sector--to 
pitch in and make sure they get it.

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