Copyright 2000 eMediaMillWorks, Inc.
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Federal Document Clearing House
Congressional Testimony
March 02, 2000
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 840 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY March 02, 2000 BILL ARCHER REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE WAYS
AND MEANS PATIENTS BILL OF RIGHTS
BODY:
March 2, 2000 Opening Statement of Ways and
Means Chairman Bill Archer (R-TX) on the Patients' Bill of
Rights Conference Committee: Mr. Chairman, as we begin this important
session today, we must not lose sight of the real health care problem facing
over 44 million Americans and their families - lack of the most basic patient
protection of all through health insurance. While accountability in health care
is an important aspect of the managed care debate, there are 44 million reasons
why we need to broaden the focus to include affordability, accessibility and
individual choice. More Americans may become uninsured unless we address the
barriers to health care access. These barriers are preventing Americans from
getting affordable care at a rate of nearly one million a year. Frankly, all the
lawsuits in the world won't do a thing to help a worker struggling to buy health
insurance for his or her family. The tax incentives contained in the House
version will help make health care available and affordable for every
generation, and I hope this panel will adopt them. Baby boomers caring for
elderly family members at home will get much-needed help. We also help
baby-boomers plan for future long term care needs with a 100 percent deduction
for long- term care insurance premiums. A new family will also get help with its
health 'insurance costs - costs that outpaced average household income last year
by nearly 2-to-1. Small businesses - which create 95 percent of new jobs - will
benefit with accelerated deductions for the self- employed so start-up companies
can offer competitive benefits to attract and retain the best workers. Finally,
nothing embodies the vision of choice and accessibility more than Medical
Savings Accounts. Expanding MSAs will give consumers more control over their
health care dollars, offering them the freedom to consult any doctor they
choose, to lower their deductibles or premiums, and to save any unused funds for
future health care expenses. With MSAs, patients- not insurance companies -
control their choices. There are no gatekeepers or middlemen. So, while much of
the attention throughout the course of this Conference Committee will be focused
on who can sue what HMO and where, let's remember that we have a similar
obligation to 44 million Americans who today have no health insurance. They
deserve a seat at this table, along with all the lawyers and other special
interests. The American people want the choice and freedom basic health coverage
offers them, and that's the right kind of health care reform.
LOAD-DATE: March 6, 2000 
