Senate Should Follow House Lead and Approve Measure To Assist Uninsured, Heritage Foundation Policy Studies Director Says

The current method of providing health coverage in the United States "can't continue unchecked ... [u]nless we're prepared to let the number of uninsured Americans rise still further," Robert Moffit, director of domestic policy studies for the Heritage Foundation, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece. Congress should make "assistance for the unemployed" its "first priority" next year and "extend generous individual tax relief" or premium subsidies to families so "they can buy the health coverage of their choice," Moffit says. He adds that state lawmakers should "repea[l] the often silly mandates" that "govern the type of medical treatments and services health insurers must cover." According to Moffit, more than 1,400 state mandates nationwide "force customers to subsidize many treatments and procedures that many neither need nor want," including "professional counselors and psychologists" or acupuncture.

Lost Chance
Moffit says that last year Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) "passed up a chance" to help "millions of Americans" without jobs purchase health care coverage when he "refused" to schedule a vote on legislation that would have made $13 billion in tax credits and premium subsidies available to unemployed individuals (Moffit, Washington Times, 1/16). House Republicans in December passed a bill, backed by President Bush, that would have provided an individual tax credit to cover 60% of the cost of private health insurance for unemployed workers. Democrats, who oppose the plan, have proposed a 75% subsidy to help unemployed workers purchase health insurance through COBRA as well as funds to allow states to extend Medicaid coverage to unemployed workers who do not qualify for the program. COBRA, the 1986 Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, allows unemployed workers to retain health coverage under their former employers' insurance plans by paying 102% of the premiums (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 12/19). Moffit says that Daschle "wanted the additional assistance to go only to the small percentage of the unemployed who still could take advantage of their former employers' health plan," leaving the remaining "displaced workers" to enroll in Medicaid. Moffit says that Medicaid has a "reputation for substandard care" and has "mounting financial problems" and "poor access to doctors," adding that Daschle "wants no part of any health-care proposal that introduces patient choice or private sector competition." Moffit concludes, "We've seen too many people lose their jobs -- and their health insurance as a result -- since Sept. 11. Times are tough enough without Washington making them tougher. The House of Representatives has already passed relief. A question for the Senate: Why not give laid-off workers and their families a break?" (Moffit, Washington Times, 1/16).