HARMAN CO-INTRODUCES UNIVERSAL HEATHCARE BILL

Says legislation is an “innovative and financially sustainable approach to a dire problem"

July 9, 2008

Washington, D.C. Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice), Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, today joined a bipartisan group of her colleagues to re-introduce the Healthy Americans Act (HR 3163) as an original cosponsor.

“The alarm bells have been ringing for decades, and policy makers here in Washington and elsewhere have been unable to unravel the knot of private interests, urgent needs, and staggering costs that dominate the healthcare debate,” said Harman.  

HR 3136 requires all Americans to purchase health insurance with assistance from state-backed Health Help Agencies.  Insurance companies would be required to accept everyone and insurance would be portable.  Employers could opt to continue providing insurance -- or cash out and give savings to employees.  Medicaid would be phased out, with government assistance still provided to those up to 400% of the poverty level. 

Key provisions of the legislation include:

• Universal Coverage:  The bill would require all Americans to purchase private insurance with the assistance of state-based HHAs.  Insurance companies would be required to accept all applicants regardless of previous and existing health problems, gender and age.  Americans falling between 100% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level would receive federal subsidies on a sliding scale to help pay their premiums. 

• Health coverage would be portable: Insurance would no longer be tied to employment.  Employers would have the option to continue offering their own health plans, as long as they are on par with the base plan offered through HHAs, but it would leave the choice up to the employees to purchase them.

• Transparency: The current insurance market is plagued with complexities that create confusion and deny consumers sufficient information or data to make educated decisions about their health care.  H.R. 3163 would require each state to establish an HHA to guide individuals through the enrollment process.  By providing comparative information on insurance plans, HHAs would foster additional competition between insurers and decrease costs.

• Focus on preventive care:  Individuals would not be charged co-pays for preventive services and insurers would offer discounts and other incentives to patients who participate in other preventive programs.

“The Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) and the California Medical Association (CMA) both applaud Congresswoman Harman for introducing legislation that would provide health insurance coverage to the millions of uninsured in California.  We appreciate her work to make sure that every Californian has access to a doctor by making insurance more affordable and providing incentives to receive preventive care.  LACMA and CMA strongly support her efforts to move health reform to the top of the national agenda,” said Dr. Howard Krauss, LACMA President, and Dr. Richard Frankenstein, CMA President, in a written statement. 

“As the daughter and sister of doctors, I’ve seen the best and worst of the US healthcare system.  The system is in dire straits,” said Harman.  “The Healthy Americans Act is innovative, financially sustainable, and universal.”
 
Joining Harman as bipartisan original cosponsors were:  Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Brian Baird (D-WA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Phil English (R-PA), James Moran (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Darlene Hooley (D-OR), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Artur Davis (D-AL), David Wu (D-OR), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Vic Snyder (D-AR), Christopher Carney (D-PA), Nikki Tsongas (D-MA), and Daniel Lipinski (D-IL).

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