CHAIRMAN BAUCUS RALLIES FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
Senator Says All Montanans, Americans Have A Right To Quality, Affordable Health Care
July 25, 2007
(Washington, D.C.) – At a large rally on Capitol Hill today, Montana Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, joined the American Association of Retired Persons to highlight the need for health care for all Montanans and Americans.
Baucus was one of only two members of Congress to have a speaking role at the rally, which was attended by more than 2,000 people. The goal of the event was to push for universal health care for all Americans.
Earlier this year, Baucus held a hearing in his committee about the need for universal health care. Baucus made clear that he’s not endorsing a solely government-funded health care system, sometimes called “single-payer,” but rather he says a combination of private and public healthcare entities will likely be needed to cover all Americans.
“One in six Americans does not have access to health care,” Baucus said. “And in my home state of Montana, an even greater percentage of people have limited access to health care: 1 in 5 Montanans lack health insurance. Businesses struggle to continue to offer health benefits and remain competitive in the face of ever-increasing costs. Employees grapple with having to pay more for coverage, while getting less care. It’s not right and I’m going to fight to make it right.”
Claudia Clifford, associate director for AARP in Montana, was in Washington, D.C., for the rally on Capitol Hill.
“We applaud Senator Baucus for his leadership and work on universal health care and Social Security,” said Clifford. “And we’re proud to work together with Senator Baucus on the ‘Divided We Fail’ campaign – a partnership of Republicans and Democrats and a variety of groups all working together to provide health care for all Montanans and Americans.”
As Finance Committee Chairman, Baucus has jurisdiction over the nation’s health care programs – Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Baucus has made renewing and expanding CHIP his top health care priority this year.
Baucus said he’s optimistic that a solution to the nation’s health care challenges can be reached – though it’s going to take time and a lot of working together. He said there are five key principles to health care reform.
Baucus’ Health Care Reform Principles
1) Universal coverage: Baucus said America is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t guarantee health care for its citizens. He noted changes to America’s health care system can’t be addressed while leaving a growing portion of the country behind.
2) Sharing the burden: Neither the employer-based system nor the individual market can fulfill the demand for affordable, portable, quality coverage, Baucus said. One way to ensure affordable coverage is to create pooling arrangements. Purchasing pools would bring together large numbers of small purchasers — both individuals and small businesses — and allow them to take advantage of group rates for coverage.
3) Controlling costs: America cannot sustain its current rate of growth in health care spending, Baucus said, noting any serious proposal must reduce skyrocketing health care costs.
4) Prevention: American health care tends to address what happens once people are already sick, Baucus said. By making prevention the foundation of America’s health care system, the country can avoid the high costs of treating an illness that has been allowed to progress.
5) Shared responsibility: Baucus said everybody must shoulder the burden of a new health care system together, not one sector or entity – private or public.
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