[THIS IS THE PERIODIC BRIEFING FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO ITS OFFICIALS AND OTHER SUPPORTERS OF ITS HEALTH-REFORM PROGRAM. IT PROVIDES AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW THE ADMINISTRATION IS PROMOTING ITS PLAN. THIS ITEM WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE SAME SUBJECT LINE (WITH DIFFERENT DATES) SO YOU CAN EASILY SKIP IT IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ IT. -- Steve Freedkin , LIST.HEALTHPLAN Administrator] The White House Health Care Reform Today February 7, 1994 * The President has made clear the bottom line is guaranteeing private insurance to every American. Never before has the President said it as clearly...that he will veto any legislation that does not contain private health care insurance that can never be taken away. * Let's also be clear about compromise versus flexibility. While the President is inflexible about health security for everyone, he is flexible on the details that reach the ultimate goal. In the past few days, there has been a drumbeat from a variety of fronts that the President will compromise on health care reform. That is not accurate. Remember, that unlike any other legislation including the budget, National Service, Family-Medical Leave, the President has made the clearest statement to date on health care reform. He has put forth what he believes is the best way to achieve the goal of health security for all. * Now the challenge is on those who have borrowed the rhetoric of others without closely studying the details...come up with a better way and the White House will sit down and engage in constructive debate. That's flexibility...not compromise. * Tomorrow, the President will visit the General Motors Light Truck Plant in Shreveport, Louisiana to deliver a speech on health care reform. He'll be joined by Jack Smith from GM and Owen Bieber from the United Auto Workers. * Under the President's approach to health reform, businesses' costs will be controlled, as the "cost-shifting" of paying for the uninsured is eliminated. By asking all employers and individuals to contribute to coverage, the burden of "cost shifting" will be lifted from the businesses who cover their employees today. No longer will these businesses bear the costs of other businesses and their employees -- through higher premiums and higher taxes to pay for people without coverage, or by covering spouses working for other businesses. Under the President's approach to health reform, employers who currently pay 100% of the premium can continue to do so. And employers or insurance companies cannot ask workers to pay more than 20% of the cost of the average plan. There will also be a limit on how much insurers can raise premiums. * Rising health costs will no longer rob workers of wage increases. Millions of American workers will have their first real chance for wage increases in years. If health care had been reformed in 1975, American workers would have over $1000 in extra wages this year. Without reform, workers will lose almost $600 in yearly wages by the year 2000. With guaranteed, comprehensive benefits, workers will no longer have to negotiate away wage increases in order to preserve benefits. Health Care Reform Today * The White House *