WASHINGTON, DC – To assist the growing number of states tackling the serious problem of uninsured Americans, a bipartisan group of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives have introduced groundbreaking legislation aimed at extending health care to the nearly 50 million who lack coverage.

Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and George Voinovich (R-OH) along with Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tom Price (R-GA) and John Tierney (D-MA) today introduced health care reform bills intended to break the logjam in Washington and allow states to experiment with various efforts to reduce the number of uninsured through a federal-state partnership. Summaries of the senators’ Health Partnership Act and the representatives’ Health Partnership Through Creative Federalism Act is attached.

“There is no single prescription to solving our nation’s serious uninsured problem. Extending health care to the millions of Americans who are uninsured will require the innovation of governors and other leaders in all 50 states. Our legislation simply helps each state implement the solution that is right for them,” Bingaman said.

“For too many years, I have listened to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle talk about the rising cost of health care and the growing number of uninsured. And for too many years, I’ve seen little progress here at the federal level,” Voinovich said. “Yet, states like Massachusetts and California are moving ahead with reform strategy. The bill Senator Bingaman and I introduced today aims to break the logjam and allow states to experiment with health care reform options. Our hope is the bill will provide a platform from which we can have a thoughtful conversation about comprehensive health care reform here in Washington.”

“Health care reform should be one of our highest national priorities," said Baldwin who has made health care for all her paramount concern. "Federal support of states' initiatives is key to making health care accessible to all. I'm proud of the progress my colleagues and I have made and, working together, I'm hopeful that our goals can be achieved.”

“As a physician, I know ‘one-size-fits-all’ doesn’t work for healthcare. Congress should actively work to solve big challenges – and those without health insurance is one such challenge. Our bipartisan group respects the principle of federalism. By empowering states to develop methods that best suit their unique needs we are putting patients first, which should be the foundation of any reform,” said Price, MD (GA-6)

“As a number of states, including Massachusetts, look to increase health care coverage for their citizens, it is vital that the federal government provide them with the support they need. The reported number of uninsured Americans is rising to unacceptably staggering levels. I firmly believe we can turn this healthcare crisis around by implementing innovative approaches which increase access to affordable health care,” Tierney said.

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