The White House
Health Care Reform Today
November 10, 1993
- Our national goal is health security --
every American guaranteed comprehensive health
benefits that can never be taken away. The President
has made clear he will sign only a bill that would
guarantee universal coverage and comprehensive
benefits.
- There are many aspects of other proposals
that we support because they reflect a commitment to
the principles of the President's plan: security,
savings, choice, simplicity, competition, quality,
and responsibility.
- The Cooper-Breaux plan, for example,
encourages competition, by using market forces to
control costs, promote efficiency, and reduce waste.
And, we share its support for increased
cost-consciousness. But, it does not guarantee
universal coverage. The Gramm-McCain plan, for
example, relies on consumers to make informed
choices and it asks consumers to share
responsibility for their health care costs. So does
the President's plan. But Gramm-McCain does not
guarantee universal coverage and in fact, encourages
bare-bones packages and leaves insurance companies
in the driver's seat, able to increase rates if you
get sick or have a pre-existing condition.
- We remain committed to a bipartisan solution
-- this is about health security, not about
politics. We want to work with Congressman Cooper
and Sen. Breaux and with Sen. Chafee and Sen. Dole
and with other members, Democrats and Republicans.
We are committed to building a bipartisan consensus
around health reform that will guarantee every
American a comprehensive package of benefits that
can never be taken away.
- Senator Edward Kennedy took the HIAA to task
yesterday over their airing of misleading health
care television ads. He said: "You think you have
to scare the American people to raise those kinds of
concerns?" Pointing at charts showing nearly
40-million Americans without insurance, he said:
"Those figures represent tears in the eyes of
mothers...cancer patients who won't be able to get
treatment because they've been excluded from
coverage."
- The AP reported yesterday that the HIAA says
their misleading ads will be off the air by
Thanksgiving.