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Congressional Testimony
October 4, 2000, Wednesday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 1227 words
COMMITTEE:
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR & PENSIONS
HEADLINE: TESTIMONY EXPANDING HEALTH CARE COVERAGE
TESTIMONY-BY: JAMES M. JEFFORDS , HEALTH CARE COVERAGE:
45 MILLION UNINSURED AND COUNTING
BODY:
October 4,
2000 Statement of Chairman James M. Jeffords (R-VT) Hearing on "Health Care
Coverage: 45 Million Uninsured and Counting" This hearing of the Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is titled "Health Care
Coverage.- 45 Million Uninsured and Counting." The Committee chose this title
before the Current Population Survey data on the uninsured was released last
Friday, revealing that the number of uninsured had actually declined from just
under 45 million in 1998 to 42.6 million for 1999. While this decline is
certainly good news, it does not mean that we can pack up and go home thinking
our work is done. Whether it's 45 or 42 million uninsured, this is a problem Of
enormous magnitude that has far reaching implications for American families and
our health care system. Forty-two point six million is simply unacceptable for a
prospercus nation with a strong economy. This is a very real problem with very
real implications. The uninsured often go without needed health care or forgo
other basic necessities of life in order to get care. I believe that the issue
of access to affordable health coverage must be a top national priority and
first and foremost on this Committee's agenda next year. Given the enormous
complexity of the problem, I am convinced that a single or simple solution
probably does not exist. I personally believe that incremental steps in the
private marketplace and expansions of existing government programs are probably
necessary in order to resolve the entire problem. It is also important to
address both insurance coverage and access to services if we want we really want
to make a difference for the uninsured. I also believe that it is essential to
pursue these efforts in a bipartisan manner. For instance, Senator Kennedy's
Family Care Act of 2000, a proposal to expand S- CHIP to the uninsured parents
of eligible children, enjoys bipartisan support. In addition, the Health
Coverage, Access, Relief & Equity Act -- or the Health "CARE" Act (S. 2320)
-- a bill that I introduced with Senators Frist and Breaux, also has bipartisan
sponsorship. This legislation will provide low- and moderate-income Americans
who don't have employer-subsidized coverage with a refundable tax
credit for the purchase of health insurance coverage.
Unfortunately, some will be tempted to come out swinging - attacking the "other
guy's" ideas and seeking to polarize this issue before we have gotten a handle
on the underlying problem. For this reason, I have asked the witnesses to focus
on defining the problem and the implications, and to make constructive
recommendations for solutions. I know some of the witnesses will make a specific
recommendation while others will suggest a combination of approaches. All ideas
are welcome. The specific goals of this hearing are to understand who the
uninsured are and to consider the implications of being uninsured. We will hear
what the new uninsured data from the Current Population Survey reveal, explore
the factors that are driving the decrease in the uninsured, and attempt to
identify any trends. We will also hear about the special challenges and barriers
individuals, small businesses, and minorities face in obtaining and maintaining
affordable health coverage. We will explore issues of tax equity in the
treatment of health coverage and examine how tax policy impacts access to health
care coverage. Finally, we will explore the challenges, barriers, and policy
options for expanding coverage. The hearing will follow the Committee's usual
format. Each of the witnesses will speak five minutes, and then I will follow
with questions for each member of the panel. The hearing record will remain open
for two weeks, and any written statements and questions for the record should be
submitted within that time frame. I welcome all of our guests, and look forward
to hearing their testimony.
LOAD-DATE: October 6, 2000,
Friday 
