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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-DE) and Senator
Moynihan (D-NY) 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 $1000 tax credit, social support
services, and new long-term care options to millions of Americans. Over
five 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.