Healthy Americans Act

Floor Speech

HEALTHY AMERICANS ACT -- (Senate - July 08, 2008)

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I stand today for the 47 million Americans who are uninsured and looking to Congress to address an issue that has reached critical proportions.

I stand for the millions of Americans who are underinsured and cannot afford to pay the difference between their health costs and their meager coverage.

I stand for the millions of Americans who have lost their health coverage along with their jobs.

And, I stand for the small businesses that cannot afford to cover the costs of their employees.

That is why I am joining Senators Ron Wyden, Bob Bennett, and many of my other colleagues in taking the first steps towards a bicameral, bipartisan, comprehensive solution for all called the Healthy Americans Act.

The Healthy Americans Act recognizes that our health care system is fundamentally broken and requires Congress, the President, and the Federal Government as a whole to engage in a serious dialogue about our country's health care priorities and the solutions that can make those priorities attainable.

The Healthy Americans Act guarantees affordable, high quality, permanent health coverage for all Americans. It provides benefits equal to those available to Members of Congress, and gives incentives for individuals to make a commitment to prevention, wellness, and disease management.

It changes the crumbling foundation on which we have built our system, challenges the status quo, and makes a commitment to the right of all Americans to live their lives without fear of losing, or not being able to afford health coverage.

This solution is affordable for us. In fact, according to independent studies, this piece of legislation is fully paid for using the $2.2 trillion currently spent on health care in America and saves $1.48 trillion over 10 years.

The benefit to Americans will be profound.

The Healthy Americans Act changes the way we think of health care in America through the modernization of fundamental relationships in our current system. By redefining the relationship between employers, employees, and health insurance, we give the American people a choice when it comes to the coverage, the cost, and the benefits they need for their families and their health.

The Healthy Americans Act marks the beginning of a comprehensive, bipartisan effort to health care reform. There will be many challenging issues to consider as my colleagues and I work to provide every American with quality coverage. These include concerns over the potential disruption that such a profound change to the system would have on those with existing coverage, as well as the lack of a publicly sponsored health plan option.

I hope to work with Senators Wyden, Bennett, and my Senate colleagues in ensuring that this legislation addresses those concerns, as well as others that may be raised in the future.

Although complex, the health care crisis is one that we cannot afford to ignore any longer. Together, we can turn the health care system in American into a transparent, affordable, efficient and healthy system that can help those that need it most.

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