Chairman Miller's Statement After Bipartisan White House Health Reform Summit
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, released the following statement today on President Obama’s bipartisan health insurance reform summit. Miller, who chairs one of the three committees that developed the House health reform bill, participated in the summit and spoke on the vital need to reform the way insurance companies treat their customers. “This was a remarkable meeting and I am honored to have been a part of it.
“I believe it helped to clearly illustrate what the main issues are in health care reform, how complicated many of them are, and how many good ideas there are to address them. Most importantly, we heard that there is a lot of agreement between Democrats and Republicans on how to fix certain parts of our broken health insurance system – whether by cutting waste, fraud and abuse in our system, reducing the deficit, keeping young adults on their parent’s plans, or giving families the opportunity to purchase insurance across state lines.
“Agreement on these and other issues is not new, but today they were made plain for all to see. The truth is that we have worked hard for the past year to find common ground on good ideas, regardless of who offered them. The compelling and balanced proposal President Obama has put forward, along with the House and Senate-passed bills, include many ideas that Republicans support.
“Today also highlighted clear areas where we fundamentally disagree. Democrats believe it is critical that we end insurance company discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, it is clear Republicans do not. Democrats also believe expanding coverage to everyone benefits everyone – it’s the only way to make meaningful health insurance reforms and make coverage more affordable. Republicans do not.
“However, I am disappointed that based on what many of the Republican participants said today and said in advance of this meeting, it seems clear that Republicans are stuck on the same talking points and same playbook they started off this debate with last year – which is to oppose the President’s effort to reform health insurance in America, no matter what.
“While Democrats worked hard to include ideas we have consensus on, Republican rhetoric would seem to be stuck in park. They want to start over and delay these reforms further, doing nothing to help families’ health and financial security, small businesses’ competitiveness, and our nation’s fiscal future. Doing nothing is the last thing the American people want.
“After a year of hearings, debate, and amendments from both sides, it’s time to move forward. The American people wanted us to come together to solve their real health care problems and provide every family the security of knowing they will always have access to quality, affordable health insurance. They want us to end a backwards system that allows insurance companies to reap profits and raise premiums while abusing the very customers who pay them. That’s what health reform is about and that’s what we are going to do. We will not let this historic moment pass us by.
“The President’s proposal would provide enormous relief to the American families and small businesses getting crushed by today’s health care costs. We must make a serious effort – on all sides – to embrace the reforms on the table and take action now for our country.”
Among the areas that President Obama concluded Democrats and Republicans agree:
• Allowing small businesses and individuals to be part of a large group to purchase insurance;
• Preventing waste, fraud and abuse
• Promoting prevention and wellness
• Purchasing insurance across state lines;
• Allowing young people to stay on their parents’ insurance through their 25th or 26th birthdays;
• Banning annual caps and lifetime caps on insurance coverage;
• Continuing the use of Health Savings Accounts;
• Focusing on quality of care, not quantity of service;
Learn more about the president’s proposals on insurance reforms, expanding coverage, cost containment and reducing the deficit, here.
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