FEINGOLD INTRODUCES MAJOR
HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
Health Care Bill is First in a Series of Significant Proposals Feingold
Will Introduce This Year Addressing Domestic Issues
Florence,
WI – During his Florence County listening session today, U.S.
Senator Russ Feingold discussed major legislation he recently introduced
to bring much-needed reform to the nation’s health care system.
The State-Based Health Care Reform Act would authorize pilot projects
in a few states to allow those states to provide health care coverage
for all their residents. Rather than dictating how states will achieve
universal coverage, the bill provides them with the flexibility to choose
their own way of covering all their residents, provided they meet specified
minimum requirements. Feingold’s bill is aimed at breaking the
political stalemate in Congress that is preventing meaningful health
care reform from being enacted.
Over the next six months, Feingold plans to announce a series of proposals
addressing some of the domestic issues that have been raised with Senator
Feingold in Wisconsin or at Wisconsin listening sessions over the years.
This proposal addresses the issue that Wisconsinites have raised with
him more than any other: health care.
“In my 14 years of holding listening sessions across the state,
Wisconsinites have mentioned health care more than any other issue,”
Feingold said. “With an American-style approach to reform, that
gives flexibility to the states and fuels innovation, real health care
reform is within reach. I support guaranteed health care coverage for
all Americans and this bill moves us toward that goal.”
Feingold’s State-Based Health Care Reform Act:
- Gives flexibility and assistance to a few states to achieve universal
health care. States are not required to adopt a certain program but
are instead given the flexibility to achieve universal coverage through
any means deemed appropriate by the state. Coverage must meet certain
minimum standards and must include protections for low-income people.
- Authorizes funding for pilot projects to launch in a few states
to achieve universal health care for all their residents. The pilot
programs would last for five years and would be funded through a grant
application program overseen by a Health Care Reform Task Force. The
Health Care Reform Task Force would evaluate state applications, select
state projects, oversee implementation of the states’ proposals
and review progress.
- Would cost $32 billion over ten years and is fully paid for through
offsets, making funding available right away and allowing the program
to take effect immediately. The Task Force will be authorized to select
as many states as can be funded.
“For too long, Congress has sat on the sidelines while the country’s
health care crisis has gotten worse,” Feingold said. “With
46 million Americans struggling without health insurance, we must find
a way to break the current stalemate, and that’s what my legislation
is all about.”
Feingold’s listening session was held at the Wild Rivers Interpretive
Center in Florence, WI. The listening session was Feingold’s 45th
of 2006 and 981st since 1993.
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