[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 170 (Monday, November 5, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S13766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HEALTHY AMERICANS ACT

  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, as I travel and talk to folks across 
Minnesota, one thing is abundantly clear--Minnesotans, like most 
Americans, are more concerned about health care than just about any 
other issue--and for good reason.
  As a Nation, we are spending about $2.2 trillion on health care each 
year, about 16 percent of GDP. This is more than twice what many other 
developed countries spend, yet 47 million of our fellow Americans are 
uninsured. And even those with insurance are worried. Worried about the 
escalating cost of premiums, whether their children will be covered, or 
whether they will lose their health plan at work.
  One thing we can all agree on is that inaction is not an option. As 
these concerns grow and the costs continue to increase, the problem 
will only get more complex and more difficult to solve. The time for 
solutions is now.
  It is in the spirit of finding a solution to our Nation's health care 
crisis that I recently joined four of my Republican colleagues as a 
cosponsor of Senator Ron Wyden's Healthy Americans Act. While this is 
certainly not a perfect solution, it is not ``Government-run'' or 
``single-payer'' health care. It is a private market, consumer-focused 
proposal that serves as a good place to start the discussion. Yet, as a 
cosponsor, I think it is also important that I point out some of the 
areas where I disagree with this legislation.
  One area of concern has to do with transitioning people from 
employer-based insurance to the private market. The Healthy Americans 
Act severs the ties between employment and health insurance and shifts 
everyone into the individual market. Instead, I think the Government 
should level the playing field regarding taxation of health benefits, 
so workers can leave their employer, start a new business, change jobs, 
or spend more time at home with their family without risking their 
health care coverage.
  Another area where I strongly disagree with Senator Wyden is his 
requirement that health insurance companies cover abortions. I have 
never wavered in my support for pro-life policies. While I am willing 
to work with Senator Wyden on this bill in the interest of improving 
access to health insurance, I will absolutely not support passage of 
any legislation that requires coverage of abortions. This is one area 
of the bill that must be reconsidered.
  I have also expressed concerns to my colleagues about using the 
Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, FEHBP, as the standard for 
health insurance. While I certainly believe people should have access 
to this level of coverage, I don't think it should be the only option. 
My vision of health reform does not include this one-size-fits-all 
approach. Instead, I support giving people access to a variety of 
health insurance options and the ability to make informed choices.
  While these are a few of the areas where I disagree with Senator 
Wyden, there are definitely provisions in this bill that I will work to 
preserve or even expand upon. I am pleased that the legislation focuses 
on more than just expanding coverage but also on reforming the health 
care system and providing peace of mind that a person's coverage won't 
end when his or her employment situation changes. The Healthy Americans 
Act provides incentives for preventive health care, expands wellness 
programs, and emphasizes important cost containment measures. It also 
promotes greater adoption of health information technology and enacts 
vital medical malpractice reforms.
  As you can probably see, the Healthy Americans Act is a work in 
progress. But as I said before, it is a good place to start the 
discussion. That is why I look forward to working with Senator Wyden 
and all of the cosponsors of the Healthy Americans Act to make sure we 
come up with a proposal that provides the health care choices we all 
want, the quality we need, and the health care security the American 
people deserve.

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