|
Volume 12 Number 88 News: Access Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced May 7 that business leaders have formed the Coalition to Advance Healthcare Reform (CAHR) to push for health care reform before the end of the 110th Congress. Joining Wyden during the announcement were Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah), Rep. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), and representatives of several of the nation's largest companies, according to a Wyden news release. "The bottom line is that whether you are the CEO of a large company competing in the global economy or a self-employed individual struggling to find affordable health care, health care reform is an urgent priority that Congress needs to act on now," Wyden said. With the announcement that top chief executive officers would be backing health care reform efforts, Wyden asserted that Americans understand that despite having the most talented doctors and professionals available, the nation's current health care system has failed. CAHR and Wyden Bill The news release said CAHR supports:
Wyden, a member of the Finance Committee, is sponsor of a bill introduced Jan. 19, the Healthy Americans Act (S. 334), which has been referred to the Finance Committee. No action on the bill has occurred. However, according to the news release, the bill has "picked up steam in Congress" as Bennett, a senior member of the Republican leadership, announced he would become the chief Republican sponsor of the legislation in the Senate. Reps. Baird and Jo Ann H. Emerson (R-Mo.) announced they would introduce a companion bill in the House, the news release said. Wyden's bill reflects many of the same goals as CAHR, the news release said. Other Health Care Reform Initiatives Wyden's announcement and the formation of CAHR follow other health care reform initiatives announced this year. On Feb. 7, the formation of a coalition dedicated to achieving major health care reform by 2012 was announced by four of the country's largest employers and two major labor unions. Declaring that the traditional employer-based model of health care coverage is not working, the founding members of the Better Health Care Tomorrow campaign acknowledged that although they are frequent adversaries, they will work together to support a new system that will provide "quality, affordable health care for all." Saying the time has come for more than incremental change, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) put forward Feb. 13 five principles for health care reform and said his committee would hold a series of hearings, roundtables, and member meetings this year to begin the process of drafting reform legislation. Baucus gave no timetable for completing legislation but said growing numbers of uninsured Americans and rising health care costs will force lawmakers to undertake comprehensive reforms of the health care system sooner rather than later. In calling for reform based on the Medicare system, the AFL-CIO said Medicare has guaranteed coverage, has made health care more affordable, includes a form of shared financial responsibility, significantly reduces administrative costs compared to private plans, and has been the largely unheralded financier of America's medical science advances. More information on CAHR is available.
|
