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Health care industry

Bipartisan Senators Near Deal on National Health Insurance

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A group of bipartisan senators, aiming to create a national health insurance plan, reported nearly completing their proposal and planning to discuss it with Senate leaders on Thursday. The proposal's cost estimates, obtained from the Congressional Budget Office, were described as "sobering" by the senators. The group, known as the "mainstream coalition," will meet with Director Robert D. Reischauer to review the estimates.

Key Takeaways:

  • The bipartisan group of senators has nearly finished a national health insurance plan that emphasizes reduced bureaucracy and cost control.
  • The proposal aims to scale back "regulation, bureaucracy, cost and coverage" from the Mitchell bill, which currently relies on government subsidies and insurance changes to expand coverage.
  • The Mitchell bill could reach 95% coverage, while the Senate Finance Committee's proposal, which the budget office said would reach 92% coverage, would establish a commission to recommend changes to increase coverage.
  • The mainstream group has not focused on the employer payment issue, as proposed in the Mitchell bill, and its stance on this issue remains uncertain.
  • The group may present its proposal as a "bundle" of amendments to Senate leaders on Thursday, and will seek their support for the bill.
  • The MSM has agreement to scale back regulation, bureaucracy, cost and coverage of the Mitchell bill, while trying to reach 95% coverage.
  • The Coalition's membership is fluctuating, with 15 Senators at the morning meeting (6 Republicans and 9 Democrats) and 16 in the afternoon (one additional Democrat).
  • Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) said that the mainstream group has tentatively agreed on a proposal patterned on the Senate Finance Committee's proposal.

Statistics:

  • 95%: The percentage of Americans that the Mitchell bill aims to cover through government subsidies and insurance changes.
  • 92%: The percentage of Americans that the proposed Senate Finance Committee bill could cover.
  • 2 bills: The structure of the proposal, which is either a new bill as a substitute for the Mitchell bill or a batch of amendments.
  • 15 Senators: The number of Senators at the morning meeting.
  • 16 Senators: The number of Senators at the afternoon meeting.
  • 1,443 pages: The length of the Mitchell bill.
  • $10,000: The fine deleted from the Mitchell bill, allowing the Secretary of Labor to punish employers who offered substandard insurance policies to their workers.

Sources:

  • "A Bipartisan Coalition of Senators Near Deal on Health Care Plan", The New York Times, not dated
  • "Clinton Weighs Options in Bid for Consensus on Health Bill", The New York Times, 27 March 1993
  • "Kennedy and Packwood Bills Call for Standard Benefits Package", The New York Times, 23 February 1993

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