[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 March 16, 1994 Vote of Support for Guaranteed Coverage at Work The Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee voted to support universal coverage through employer provided health coverage at work. By a 6 to 5 vote the Subcommittee rejected an amendment that would have eliminated the requirement that employers provide health coverage. Health benefits guaranteed at work is one of the key elements of the President's approach to guaranteed private insurance. Every job should come with health benefits. Most jobs do today. And yet 8 out of 10 Americans who have no insurance are members of families with an employed member. We want everyone to have health benefits guaranteed at work. House Debate on Health Reform Tonight, the House of Representatives will hold a health care reform debate on the House floor. A Democrat and a Republican team will debate the following resolution: "that the Clinton health care plan best represents the elements that should be included in health care reform." The Democrat team consists of four co-sponsors of the President's plan: Majority Leader Gephardt, Representative Waxman, Representative Stark, and Representative DeLauro. The Republican team consists of Representative Gingrich, Representative Thomas, Representative Bliley, and Representative Johnson. The debate will be shown live on C-SPAN and carried on NPR. It is our hope that the debate will focus on the real choices in the health care debate. Is every American family guaranteed private insurance, or will people still go without coverage? Are benefits spelled out and guaranteed, or are they left to a government board to decide later on? Is choice of doctor and health plan guaranteed, or will choice continue to erode? Will insurance be affordable for businesses and families, or will rates continue to skyrocket? Is insurance guaranteed at work, or will working families still go without coverage? Are re-existing condition exclusions and lifetime limits eliminated, or will they continue? Older Americans protected with new coverage for prescription drugs and long-term home care, or does money from Medicare go to pay other bills? These are the questions the American people are asking, and they deserve answers. We look forward to the debate.