Path To Bipartisan Agreement

Floor Speech

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the spiraling cost of health care represents a
growing financial crisis for many Americans who either cannot afford quality health care coverage or are struggling to keep the insurance they currently have. When combined with the aging of our population, health care costs are driving the country's long-term fiscal challenges, challenges which we must address in a bipartisan way.

Unfortunately, many proposals being offered to achieve universal health care coverage are pushing us toward a system based on expansive government control, which will eventually lead to rationing, a reduction in the quality of care, and increased health care spending. That is absolutely the wrong way to go.

So, today I join Senator WYDEN and Senator BENNETT as a co-sponsor of the Healthy Americans Act, bi-partisan legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system, in an effort to make quality, affordable health insurance available to all Americans.

I congratulate Senator WYDEN on his leadership in advancing this cause and pulling together this strong bipartisan blueprint that goes a long way towards empowering consumers and the private market to extend health care coverage to all Americans.

Mr. WYDEN. I thank the Senator. I appreciate the co-sponsorship of the Senator from New Hampshire. The only way to produce enduring health reform is to work in a bipartisan manner. Unlike past efforts, through the Healthy Americans Act, there is bi-partisan agreement on the principal issues. Republicans have moved to support covering everyone and Democrats have moved to support private choices.

Mr. GREGG. In addition to the private market approach to expanding coverage, the bill attempts to reduce the growth in health care spending by providing incentives for preventive health care, wellness programs, and disease management, as well as a stronger focus on health care cost containment measures. These measures include lowering administrative costs and focusing on chronic care management, health information technology and medical malpractice reform as tools to control costs.

In addition to his commitment to enact comprehensive health care reform in a budget-neutral manner, I also would like to commend Senator WYDEN on his willingness to work with me to make improvements on last years' proposal. In particular the removal of the Medicare part D price negotiation language, the enhanced language to ensure stronger state flexibility, and the elimination of the non-health related tax provisions are strong improvements to the bill.

Mr. WYDEN. I appreciate Senator GREGG's commitment to moving this process forward and the thoughtfulness in his suggestions. I am happy to work with you and all of our other co-sponsors to continue to make improvements to the bill. While there are challenges on the specifics, as Senator GREGG has said, there's a lot to work with. Senator GREGG and I agree on fiscal responsibility, prevention, wellness, chronic care management, modernizing the tax code, improving the quality of care, containing costs, personal responsibility, and the importance of covering everyone.

Mr. GREGG. I look forward to working with the Senator to make further improvements as well. As I have told the Senator from Oregon in the past, I have some serious concerns about several elements of this plan, including the imposition of mandates; subsidies for higher income individuals; the impact on current market competition; the FDA labeling language regarding comparative effectiveness studies; and the issue of how to determine the appropriate level of coverage offered as part of a health care reform regime.

As you know, the bill uses the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan, FEHBP, Blue Cross Blue Shield, BCBS, standard plan as he actuarial equivalent for the Healthy Americans Private Insurance, HAPI, plans. As the bill moves forward, our goal should be to create a more cost-effective benchmark that focuses on preventive care and core health care services to encourage greater individual responsibility on over-utilization of care.

Mr. WYDEN. I think Senator GREGG's arguments on these points make a lot of sense. There's more to be said for reviewing alternative proposals such as a default enrollment policy instead of an individual mandate and the role of FDA labeling in comparative effectiveness.

In light of the reports earlier this week that President Obama's health reform plan is estimated to cost more than $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, it is better not to overpromise and undermine cost containment. It is important that the Congress find an appropriate benefit standard that will ensure quality coverage for all Americans that will not undermine our efforts to contain costs. I want to thank Senator GREGG for his thoughtful contributions and his willingness to work with me, Senator BENNETT and our bipartisan group. It's our plan to work closely with our leaders--Chairman BAUCUS, Ranking Member GRASSLEY, Chairman KENNEDY, and Ranking Member ENZI--to end 60 years of gridlock.

Mr. GREGG. I appreciate Senator WYDEN's comments and I am hopeful that by joining forces with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a private market approach, we can begin a bi-partisan dialogue, work through our differences, and find workable solutions that will result in a better health care system for all.

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