[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 30--TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF CONGRESS 
 CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO ALL AMERICANS

  Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Reid, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
Feingold, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Dayton, Mrs. 
Murray, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Corzine, and Mr. Kennedy) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and pensions:

                            S. Con. Res. 30

       Whereas the United States is the only major industrialized 
     country that does not have universal access to health 
     insurance among its citizens;
       Whereas the number of Americans without health insurance 
     has increased steadily over the past decade from 37,000,000 
     to 45,000,000;
       Whereas 7 in 10 people without health insurance live in 
     families where at least one person works full-time;
       Whereas 20 percent of uninsured Americans are children;
       Whereas members of racial and ethnic minority groups at all 
     income levels are more likely to be uninsured than their 
     White counterparts;
       Whereas the percentage of private-sector employers offering 
     health benefits to retirees has declined by more than 40 
     percent since 1997 to just 13 percent in 2002;
       Whereas in 2003, 1,700,000 veterans and 3,900,000 
     dependents of veterans did not have access to health 
     insurance or veterans medical care;
       Whereas uninsured Americans receive less preventive care 
     and are diagnosed at a more advanced stage of disease than 
     Americans with health insurance;
       Whereas uninsured adults have mortality rates approximately 
     25 percent higher than those of privately insured adults;
       Whereas the financial consequences of uninsurance can be 
     disastrous for families, as demonstrated by a recent study 
     that found medical problems were a factor in nearly half of 
     all personal bankruptcy filings;
       Whereas the increase in average health insurance costs 
     since 2000 was five times the increase in average worker 
     wages;
       Whereas the total cost of job-based health insurance has 
     risen 72 percent in the past 5 years;
       Whereas employers are struggling to keep up with rising 
     health insurance costs;
       Whereas a recent study by the Commonwealth Fund concluded 
     that small employers that provide health insurance to their 
     employees pay more but receive less for their money while 
     suffering faster increases in premiums and steeper jumps in 
     deductibles than large firms;
       Whereas the market for individual insurance policies can be 
     prohibitively expensive and allows for discrimination based 
     on health status;
       Whereas rising health insurance costs undermine United 
     States competitiveness in the global market;
       Whereas despite spending the most per capita on health care 
     ($4,887 compared to Germany which is the next highest at 
     $2,808), the United States ranks 12th out of 13 
     industrialized nations in 16 top health indicators such as 
     infant mortality; and
       Whereas members of Congress and their families have the 
     opportunity to select among many benefit choices and to 
     purchase high quality, group health insurance coverage at 
     reasonable rates: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That--
       (1) Congress should enact legislation that will ensure that 
     all Americans have access to affordable, quality health 
     insurance coverage by 2010, regardless of income, age, 
     employment or health status;
       (2) such legislation should utilize private and public 
     sector solutions;
       (3) rather than shifting greater costs to consumers, such 
     legislation should constrain underlying health care costs, 
     including by assuring appropriate utilization, and lowering 
     prescription drug costs and administrative expenses; and
       (4) such legislation should assure high quality health care 
     by promoting the utilization of information technology, 
     reducing medical errors, providing for care coordination, and 
     through other methods designed to improve quality.

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