White House Fact Sheet on Bipartisan Health Care Agenda
Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2100
WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a fact sheet released today by the White House:
PRESIDENT CLINTON CHALLENGES THE CONGRESS TO PASS A BIPARTISAN
HEALTH CARE AGENDA THIS FALL
September 8, 1999
Today, at a White House event with Secretary Shalala and a practicing family physician from Georgia, the President will urge the Congress to make this fall a time of constructive achievement, not destructive politics, and to pass the health care quality and coverage initiatives that have long been on the nation's agenda. The President will unveil a "health care checklist" detailing the work that still needs to be done, including passing:
(1) a strong, enforceable, Patients' Bill of Rights;
(2) Medicare reforms that strengthen and modernize the program;
(3) long-overdue medical records privacy protections;
(4) health care options that empower Americans with disabilities to work free from concern over being uninsured;
(5) legislation to increase the price of cigarettes and decrease the number of children who smoke;
(6) increased funds for children's health insurance outreach;
(7) critical provisions that provide Americans in need of long-term care services or their caregivers financial assistance and support services and coverage of legal immigrants; and
(8) additional funds for essential public health priorities, such as biomedical research, mental health services, and Indian Health Services.
The President will also announce that this fall, the Administration will release a proposed regulation to protect medical records privacy. He will also announce that with today's approval of the Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) in Washington and Wyoming, all 50 states are expanding coverage to uninsured children through CHIP.
URGE THE CONGRESS TO MAKE THE FALL A SEASON OF HEALTH CARE LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS.
Underscoring the fact that there are numerous health care initiatives that now have broad-based bipartisan support, the President will challenge the Congress to pass:
-- The bipartisan Norwood-Dingell Patients' Bill of Rights, without weakening or harmful amendments. Noting that the Norwood-Dingell Patients' Bill of Rights already has a bipartisan majority in the House, the President will urge Speaker Hastert to schedule a vote on this broadly supported legislation. Over 200 health care and consumer organizations, including the AMA, have already endorsed this legislation and the President opposes provisions that water down or threaten the bipartisan support it has already achieved.
-- Medicare reforms which strengthen and modernize the program. The President will praise Finance Committee Chairman Roth (R-Del.) and Senator Moynihan (D-N.Y.) for committing to mark-up a Medicare reform package early this fall. He will urge Chairman Roth to maintain this timetable and pass a strong, bipartisan initiative that will make the program more competitive, provide adequate financing to extend the life of the trust fund, and modernize the benefit package, including the provision of a long-overdue, optional prescription drug benefit.
-- Legislation protecting the privacy of medical records. The President will note that the statutory deadline for Congress to pass legislation in this area expired in August. He will state that he would uphold his commitment, made in the State of the Union Address, to release proposed regulations in the absence of Congressional action this fall, as authorized by statute. Although disappointed with the lack of action by the Congress, the President will encourage Congress to pass bipartisan legislation in this area in order to provide broader authority in this area.
-- The Jeffords-Kennedy-Roth-Moynihan Work Incentives Improvement Act. This legislation, which would enable individuals with disabilities to go to work without losing their eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid, passed the Senate by a unanimous vote. The legislation already has bipartisan support and has been cosponsored by over 230 members of the House. The President will also urge Speaker Hastert to immediately schedule a vote on this historic legislation.
-- Legislation to increase funding for children's health insurance outreach and provide critical health insurance coverage to eligible legal immigrants. The President will urge the Congress to pass his proposal to increase funding for outreach activities by extending the availability and uses of the $500 million fund for TANF-Medicaid outreach. He will also call on Congress to give States the option to extend Medicaid eligibility to legal immigrant children, pregnant women, and SSI recipients. The President will urge Congress to act to improve our success in covering children, announcing the approval of the CHIP programs in Washington and Wyoming. With this announcement, all 50 states and every territory are participating in this new program, which provides affordable health insurance to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid.
-- Legislation to increase the price of cigarettes and decrease the number of children who smoke. The President will reiterate the unacceptable fact that more than 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking related diseases and that almost 90 percent of them started smoking as teenagers. He will point out that increasing the cost of cigarettes is not only one of the most effective ways to prevent kids from starting to smoke, it is good fiscal policy. This is because revenue raised by this increase will help save the Social Security Trust Fund and maintain our commitment to the nation's children and seniors.
-- Critically important long-term care initiative. The President will urge the Congress to pass a long-term care initiative to provide financial assistance, including a $1,000 tax credit, social support services, and new long-term care options to millions of Americans. Over 5 million Americans have significant limitations due to illness or disability and thus require long-term care. The President will challenge the Congress to include these provisions in any tax bill it passes.
-- Additional funds for critical public health priorities. The President will urge the Congress to fund critical public health priorities, including new investments in biomedical and practice based research, mental health services, and the Indian Health Service. He will point out that these programs have traditionally received broad based, bipartisan support and emphasized that this year should be no different.
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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
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