[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 44 (Monday, November 8, 1993)]
[Pages 2223-2225]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

 October 30, 1993

    Good morning. In the next few days, you'll have the chance to pick 
up what may be the most important book of information you'll read for 
yourself, your children, your parents, and others you care about. It's a 
book that's also very important for the future of our Nation. The book 
is called ``Health Security: The President's Report to the American 
People.'' And while it deals with a very complex issue, the overhaul and 
reform of our health care system, it does so in straightforward, very 
human terms.
    The book describes our plan to solve the Nation's health care crisis 
by guaranteeing every working American comprehensive health care that's 
always there, that can never be taken away. While many people worked 
hard on this book, especially the First Lady and her task force on 
health care reform, in many ways, the book was written by you, the 
American people. For a long time, since I was the Governor of my State, 
I've been talking with Americans who, against their will, become all too 
familiar with the failings of our health care system, Americans caught 
without insurance or with inadequate insurance when they or a loved one 
became ill and when they needed the coverage the most, people who had 
their bank accounts emptied, their trust in the system betrayed, and too 
often their hearts broken.
    Many of you listening today know someone who has fallen through the 
cracks of our

[[Page 2224]]

health care system. These cracks have become chasms that swallow hard-
working Americans. More than 37 million Americans don't have health 
insurance at all, and 25 million more have very inadequate coverage with 
very high deductibles. Every month, 100,000 Americans lose their health 
coverage permanently.
    Who are these people caught in this broken system? They are a 
working mother with a sick child who had to buy her own insurance and 
who, every month, must ask herself, ``Do I pay the rent or the medical 
bills?''; a seventh grade teacher with breast cancer whose insurance 
provider disagreed with doctors over her care, the teacher had to run 
herself into debt to pay for her own chemotherapy; a doctor, frustrated 
by miles of redtape and forms that steal time he should have with his 
patients.
    These stories are not unique. Here at the White House, Hillary and I 
have had over 700,000 letters about health care, and 10,000 more pour in 
every week. Every one of them is a cry for action. So now we have a plan 
for action. Our health security legislation is a detailed bill to 
provide comprehensive, universal coverage for our people. Of course, 
it's only fair to ask who pays and how much.
    There's been some confusion on this, so today let me give it to you 
straight. Under our plan, 60 percent of all the American people will pay 
the same or less to get the same or better benefits. I'll repeat that: 6 
out of 10 of all Americans, and even more as the reforms begin to take 
effect and cost increases go down, will pay the same or less for the 
same or better benefits.
    About 25 percent of our people, people who are now underinsured or 
people without insurance at all who can afford to pay, will pay a little 
more for coverage. But many of them will actually pay less in medical 
bills. Right now, there are lots of people with cheap premiums, because 
their deductibles, their up-front costs are so high, $2,500, $3,000, 
even $5,000. Under our plan, their premiums may be a little higher, but 
their out-of-pocket costs will be lower.
    Finally, about 15 percent, and only 15 percent of the American 
people or their employers, will pay more for the same benefits. These 
are the young, healthy, usually single Americans whose insurance 
companies gamble under the current plan that they won't get sick. Is it 
fair to ask them to pay a little more so we can have broad-based 
community rating? I believe it is. Why? Because there are lots of young 
people who can't get insurance at all, because all these younger people 
will be older themselves someday, with children, and they'll need this 
fair rate. And when these young people do get sick or have an accident, 
or even marry someone with a preexisting health condition, well then, 
all bets are off. The insurance company may double their rates or drop 
them altogether. With our plan, their premiums may be a little higher, 
just a few dollars a month, but they'll be guaranteed coverage no matter 
what happens, and a guarantee that rates won't rise unchecked.
    That's another thing I want to emphasize. Under our plan, there is a 
limit to what anyone can have taken away from them in health care. 
That's not true today. So 100 percent of the American people get 
something no one has today, absolute security. This plan is based on the 
principles of security, simplicity, savings, maintaining the quality of 
our health care system, maintaining and even increasing choice for 
consumers of health care, and insisting on more responsibility.
    We focus on keeping people healthy, not just treating them after 
they get sick. We reduce paperwork and crack down on fraud. We protect 
the right to choose doctors and preserve and strengthen Medicare.
    Right now I'll say again: There is no guarantee for anyone that 
health care will be there tomorrow. One of our citizens wrote us and 
said even employed insured people are one major illness away from 
financial disaster.
    Before the end of the year, I want our lawmakers to pass a bill to 
guarantee health security for every American. That's the end of the 
congressional session next year. And I want to be clear on this. We'll 
debate many points of this plan, but this point must remain 
nonnegotiable: The health care plan must guarantee every American a 
comprehensive package of benefits that can never be taken

[[Page 2225]]

away. And I will only sign a bill into law that meets that fundamental 
commitment to the American people. We have delayed making good on it for 
too long.
    Our lawmakers have a big job ahead, but they won't be alone. We've 
seen extraordinary support from both parties to reform health care. And 
I promise to work with Congress every step of the way. As a responsible 
citizen, you have a job, too. Learn all you can about this plan. Start 
with a book called ``Health Security,'' and join the debate.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House.