[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H368-H369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come to the House tonight and 
talk about the Republican agenda for taking care of the uninsured. The 
uninsured remain a major problem in this country, and I think we have a 
unique opportunity in front of us this year for actually reducing 
significantly the number of uninsured in this country.
  The President actually gave mention of this in his State of the Union 
address here a little over a week ago. There are three Republican bills 
out there right now that would significantly impact downward the number 
of uninsured of this country.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues recall we passed in this House as part of 
the Medicare bill the bill that would allow expansion of health savings 
accounts. This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart because I 
had an Archer MSA for a number of years back when I was in my private 
medical practice, and I know the power of these accounts in being able 
to allow an individual to build wealth and build wealth that is 
dedicated to their health care needs.
  This is the single best way to enhance the consumer aspect of health 
care in this country, which I believe is an aspect that is absolutely 
critical.
  With a health savings account, an individual can choose their own 
doctor. There is nothing more fundamental in this country in the 
private practice of medicine than being able to choose your own 
physician. One can consult with your physician about services that one 
needs. One is not consulting with an HMO board somewhere. You are 
actually making these decisions yourself with your physician in the 
treatment room. There is no question that health savings accounts allow 
the

[[Page H369]]

maximum amount of portability because one is not relying upon some 
program or some insurance benefit. The individual owns the money.
  As Republicans, we hear it over and over again: we like to own 
things. In this case, one keeps control of that money. If a person 
loses their job, that money stays with them. It is there for the 
purchase of COBRA benefits should they need it or to tide you over 
until one obtains health insurance benefits with another job.
  This is an important point that I do not think a lot of people 
understand. I had a medical savings account for my last 5 years in the 
private sector. I came to Congress. A medical savings account is not 
available to Members of Congress, or at least it was not last year when 
we were sworn in. That money that I had in the medical savings account 
remains for me in that account. It is growing year by year through the 
miracle of compound interest.
  And should I go back to the private sector at some time, I fully 
would expect to use that money to once again join another medical 
savings account somewhere else.
  Another program that the President spoke to the other night when he 
was here, and this is an extremely important point, and, realistically, 
Mr. Speaker, we cannot get this one done fast enough. In fact, the 
House has already passed association health plans. We did this last 
June. This proposal would give small businesses the ability to band 
together across State lines, if need be, to purchase health insurance 
as part of a larger group. This gives small businesses greater 
bargaining power when it comes to the health coverage needs of their 
employees.
  In addition to that, it lowers administrative costs. The other body 
has this bill. Of course, I encourage them to take this up and pass 
needed relief for Americans working for small businesses.
  Association health plans will decrease the number of uninsured and 
give small businesses the ability to offer health insurance to their 
employees that they previously might not have been able to afford or in 
subsequent years would have to abandon because of the cost.
  This is a win-win situation for the employee and for the business 
owner. Finally, the President spoke to the issue of tax credits for the 
uninsured. This is probably one of the most powerful ways to really 
reduce the number of uninsured in this country. The gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Granger) has offered this bill. I am happy to be a cosponsor 
of this bill. I look forward to us moving this bill forward in the 
House this year. I was glad the President spoke to that.
  Mr. Speaker, one might ask how many people will be helped with these 
three proposals that are out there now. You get a number of estimates 
around from different people, some more optimistic, some more 
pessimistic. I think we would all agree as Republicans one probably 
could not get a more pessimistic estimate than from Roll Call. Mr. 
Morton Kondracke in his Pennsylvania Avenue column from January 26, 
that was a week ago Monday, Mr. Kondracke was actually critical of the 
President's State of the Union address about not doing more for the 
uninsured.
  But by Mr. Kondracke's own figures, we would reduce the number of 
uninsured in this country by 10 million over this next year simply by 
doing these three proposals which are all easily within our grasp.
  Medical savings accounts have been done; association health plans 
have been done in the House awaiting action over in the other body; 
finally, tax credits for the uninsured, something we can take up and do 
with a minimum of heavy lifting this year.
  Mr. Kondracke goes on to say that the association health plans would 
provide relief for 2 million workers. Health savings accounts would 
benefit an additional 4 million people, and the tax credits would 
benefit another 4 million people. This is 10 million. This is one 
quarter of the uninsured in this country done in this year.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I think we have got a message in front of us that is 
just too powerful to ignore. And I look forward to working with my 
friends on both sides of the aisle to get these three things done this 
year and get them working for the American people.

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