Republican Health Insurance Cure is Worse than the Disease
| By Sherrod Brown - May 5, 2006 8:23:44 PM ET |
| Also listed in: Featured Bloggers |
When I first came to Congress in 1993, universal health insurance seemed within reach.
Thirteen years later, we are moving in the wrong direction.
Today more than 45 million Americans -- including 8 million children -- have no health care coverage. Millions more are underinsured, lacking coverage for preventative care, prescription drugs, or long-term care.
Dozens of national organizations came together this week to highlight the problem for Cover the Uninsured Week.
Both parties have plans on the table to increase health care coverage that focus on small businesses, which often can't afford insurance for their employees.
I support measures that would drastically reduce the cost of providing employee health benefits by allowing small businesses to buy into health insurance pools, including the federal health insurance plan.
The Republican plan written by Sen. Michael Enzi also seeks to increase health care coverage for small businesses, but the cure is far worse than the disease.
The Enzi bill would gut state consumer protection laws that took decades to win.
If voted into law, this bill would threaten millions of Ohioans' coverage of cancer screenings, immunizations, maternity care, and emergency room visits.
Ohioans want a real solution for our health care crisis. They will not tolerate gimmicks like the Enzi bill, which will only make the problem worse.
Thirteen years later, we are moving in the wrong direction.
Today more than 45 million Americans -- including 8 million children -- have no health care coverage. Millions more are underinsured, lacking coverage for preventative care, prescription drugs, or long-term care.
Dozens of national organizations came together this week to highlight the problem for Cover the Uninsured Week.
Both parties have plans on the table to increase health care coverage that focus on small businesses, which often can't afford insurance for their employees.
I support measures that would drastically reduce the cost of providing employee health benefits by allowing small businesses to buy into health insurance pools, including the federal health insurance plan.
The Republican plan written by Sen. Michael Enzi also seeks to increase health care coverage for small businesses, but the cure is far worse than the disease.
The Enzi bill would gut state consumer protection laws that took decades to win.
If voted into law, this bill would threaten millions of Ohioans' coverage of cancer screenings, immunizations, maternity care, and emergency room visits.
Ohioans want a real solution for our health care crisis. They will not tolerate gimmicks like the Enzi bill, which will only make the problem worse.
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