Our health care system faces serious challenges. The cost of both private and government health insurance is increasing faster than inflation and wages, and the number of uninsured is rising. These challenges can be met with innovative policies that lower costs and increase outcomes while protecting vulnerable persons.
Lower Costs, Greater Flexibility
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are an innovative, low-cost solution to our health
care crisis. HSAs empower individuals and families to take control of their health care dollars. They also enhance portability, as employees can take their HSAs from one job to the next.
Last year my legislation to expand these accounts’ accessibility by permitting the rollover of funds from retirement plans to HSAs was adopted into law. This year I continued to explore options for the expansion of HSAs.
Children’s Health Care
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has helped provide many low-income
families with needed health coverage for their children. It is a very important program for
many Nebraskans.
This year SCHIP came before Congress for reauthorization, and a proposal to expand the program was discussed at length. An expansion of SCHIP should be done in a responsible manner that provides coverage to needy children. When partisan wrangling stalled productive debate on the issue, I introduced the Children Come First Act of 2007. It would allow families earning between 200 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty level to join SCHIP if their children were denied health insurance or if private coverage for their children was unaffordable. The family would have the option of enrolling the child in SCHIP or applying for "premium assistance," a government subsidy, to obtain or continue private coverage. I am hopeful that elements of this measure will be considered as Congress continues to work on a long-term renewal of SCHIP.
Recently Congress extended the current program allowing us the time needed to explore improvements. A solution is necessary to help those for whom the program was intended – poor children without proper health coverage and those families who struggle with affordability.
Research and Education
I voted in favor of the FY 2008 Labor- Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill on several occasions this year. As with any complicated appropriations legislation, there are some funding provisions within the bill which I would have changed. However, the measure generally moved in the right direction by providing appropriate federal support for key programs – particularly in the areas of health research and education.
Health and Wellness
As a society, we should embrace healthful lifestyle patterns – such as eating wholesome foods and getting regular exercise – that can stave off health care complications and their costs. I continue to advocate policies that encourage public and private entities to promote health and wellness practices among individuals and families.
In August my office hosted an educational conference on local food production in conjunction with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The conference focused on the economic, social, and nutritional benefits of local foods for consumers, farmers, and communities – reconnecting the farm to the family, the urban to the rural communities.