Mr. President – Please Get Your Facts Straight

Oct 05, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 5, 1999

CONTACT: Richard Coorsh

(202) 824-1787

rcoorsh@hiaa.org

The following statement was released today by Chip Kahn, President of the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA):

A quote by President Clinton, appearing today in a news story, offers compelling proof that his interest in so-called "patient protections" is long on politics and short on concern for patients and the uninsured.

Speaking to Reuters, President Clinton claims that the rising number of uninsured Americans – as shown by new statistics from the Commerce Department – is due to Congress’ failure to pass his heavy-handed health reform proposal of 1993-1994. "We told you in 1994 that if this were voted down the insurance companies would continue to drop people, or employers would because of the system we had. And so what has happened is exactly what we said would happen," remarked President Clinton.

Mr. President – please get your facts straight. Statistics from your own Commerce Department show that what has happened is exactly the opposite of what you predicted. The new data show that the number of people with employer-sponsored coverage actually has grown, while the percentage of people enrolled by the government’s Medicaid program has dropped.

Private health plans and health insurers are covering more and more people, even though the number of uninsured Americans continues to rise. How does President Clinton respond? He castigates private plans and health insurers, and calls for more government mandates that will raise the number of uninsured Americans – just as he did in 1993 and 1994. As Yogi Berra would say, "it’s déjà vu all over again."

Mr. President – we share your concern about the rising number of uninsured Americans. In response, our members developed InsureUSA, which would provide coverage to millions of Americans without the prescriptive costs of new government mandates. We also hope that in the future, you’ll get your facts straight, and that you will stop using health reform, managed care, and health insurers purely for political advantage.

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