30-Something Working Group

Floor Speech

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Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Murphy. Thank you for bringing us together in what is a very good exchange so that we can exchange for the sake of the American public the facts on a situation that finds us meeting a wonderful challenge that can pull us to a new day for health consumers in this country.

With the leadership of President Obama and certainly with the leadership in the House, with the Speaker here in the House of Representatives and the respective Chairs, we're now developing that dialog that is long overdue, that needs to speak to the dignity of health care for each and every individual in this country.

You know, I listened to the statements made by my friend Representative Edwards about those who are insured today. What is startling is to look at the business community and understand that in the last 15 years we went from a statistic where 61 percent of our small businesses offered employee health care coverage. Today, that number has dropped below 40 percent. Some 38 percent of our small businesses offer that. It's not that they have grown less compassionate or less sensitive to those needs. They simply cannot afford this system.

So a plan that embraces universal insurance reform, that sharpens the pencils for our consumers, that drives the bottom-line bargain whereby it is affordable, where there's an exchange developed, where there is a plan, a customer, a consumer choice plan that will be actuarially sound, that will incorporate all of the basic health care measures essential for our families in this country, will compete with that private sector market in that exchange.

That separate consumer choice plan will be sustained by premiums, not by government taxes. It will be a plan that will be modeled in a way to compete, and I believe effectively, so as to produce a market-driven outcome that is far better than what we see today.

The cost of providing health care insurance by our business community is said to be about $430 billion today. In 10 years, doing nothing, we all know that that's been projected to grow to some $880 billion. We can't afford that. The plan of inaction is unacceptable.

And you're right, Representative Murphy. When you talk about some of the similarities in the energy debate, there are those in this House that want to feed that discussion with facts. There are others who are happy to play with figures, and that fix has denied progress.

Just this week, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo mission, of landing a person on the Moon, being able to invest as a Nation because of a boldness of vision.

Well, the boldness of vision here that we're now asked to respond to is about providing quality health care with reduced costs and equal access for everyone. With this exchange, there's the potential of having groups migrate toward that opportunity in areas of need, in elements of need, where 10 or fewer employee firms can join up, then moving to 20 or more, then moving to that universal system where we grow this opportunity to provide universal coverage. That is an important part of the equation.

It also impacts our State governments and our Federal Government. When people talk about taxes they say, Cut that budget. Well, we can take $56 billion today of health care coverage that is provided for those

who are uncompensated, $56 billion paid for by Federal and State sources, so as to allow for the care for those who simply do not have a plan.

Well, we can avoid all of that. This is called preventative maintenance. We offer prevention in these plans. We provide the incentives to encourage people to move into these preventive models that will provide for outstanding benefits.

This is a great opportunity to reform a system that has long been asking for reform, and we do it in a way that is consumer friendly, consumer driven, and the government stays out of that equation, as was made mention. They're not going to choose. The government is not going to choose your doctor.

There are plans that empower our families and respond in a way that won't penalize them for catastrophic care, won't penalize them for preexisting conditions, won't penalize based on age, and will take care of our children in a way that shows us to be the compassionate Nation that I truly believe we are.

This is a way to express it. This is a way to also be economically sound in moving forward with health care delivery so that our businesses can compete in that global marketplace, not strapped with the burdens of this system. But we do take what is good about the American system, keep it in place, and reform those elements that need to be reformed.

It's a great opportunity for us to do academically sound work. And I applaud the efforts of leaders in town that are doing this with their eyes wide open, with their heart in the right place, and with the boldness of vision that they're sharing with the American public.

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Mr. TONKO. I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland, Representative Edwards.

You know, you talk about the choice that empowers the consumer, that empowers families and children across the country. But there's also continuity that is important. As we look at this recession that this administration has inherited, as they struggle with it, we've been told, Go to Washington and fix the health care system. Go to Washington and provide for energy security and green up our thinking and, oh, yes, fix the economy.

Well, in order to fix the economy, the health care situation is a key ingredient in the equation for success. So just why do we need to do that? Well, since this recession began, which may be one of the most devastating economic crises faced in our given lifetime, 4 million additional Americans have lost insurance. The stats are indicating that some 11,000 people per day, workers per day are losing insurance coverage.

So the continuity in the equation, in the outcome is an essential ingredient, because when people lose a job or if they even choose to change a job for better opportunities or are relocating as a family, they'll have opportunity to continue in a system. That's key. That is critical. And again, not held back if they're in the midst of a catastrophic illness or have some sort of pre-existing conditions. Those sort of factors are incredible. When we're fixing the economy, again, we need to hold off that $880 billion balloon, which will expand in 10 years, that the business community will pay if it tries to keep its insurance coverage for its employees. That's a huge catastrophe waiting to happen.

So this is about prevention. This is about choice. It's about continuity. And it's about utilizing our resources. The $2.4 trillion that we are historically willing to invest in a system can be used in a better way. Otherwise, that $2.4 million, Representative Murphy, turns to $4.4 million in just a matter of a decade. It is unacceptable.

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