Lieberman proposes health system reform

A physician organization praises the presidential candidate's plan to expand federal programs and promote affordable health insurance.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, amednews staff. Sept. 22/29, 2003.

Washington -- Presidential hopeful Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D, Conn.) has introduced a health care proposal that parallels a plan created by physician groups.

Lieberman's proposal includes expanding Medicaid eligibility to 150% of the poverty level and the State Children's Health Insurance Program to 300%. SCHIP would also be extended to young adults through age 25.

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Another provision calls for the creation of state-run health insurance pools that would operate like the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The pools would offer affordable health insurance to working families that do not qualify for federal programs. Families and individuals also potentially would be eligible for federal tax credits to help them cover the cost of health insurance.

Single mothers working part time, people retired at age 55 on a fixed income, individuals working for small businesses struggling with health care costs and the self employed would have access to affordable health insurance, Lieberman said in a speech announcing the proposal.

"But that's not where my health care plan stops," he said. "It's not good enough just to get people into the system if the system doesn't meet their needs."

Lieberman said his reform efforts also would focus on easing the administrative burden of the current health care system.

The plan would cover 31.6 million uninsured Americans for $53 billion a year.

"We have the best doctors and nurses in the world, yet too often life-and-death decisions are made by bureaucrats," he said. "We have the most advanced technology for diagnosing and treating diseases, yet the system sags under piles of paperwork and miles of red tape."

Lieberman built his proposal on a plan released earlier this year by the American College of Physicians. That strategy for comprehensive reform was the basis of legislation that is currently in Congress and that the ACP and other medical groups helped draft.

The college praised Lieberman's proposal. "We are encouraged whenever a major presidential candidate joins with us in calling for viable and effective reforms that build upon the existing pluralistic system of health insurance coverage," said ACP President Munsey Wheby, MD.

Lieberman also proposed improving Americans' health through the establishment of a national network of school-based health centers to provide preventive services. And he would create the American Center for Cures to help facilitate the translation of medical research into practice.

The proposal would yield coverage for 31.6 million uninsured Americans at a cost of about $53 billion a year, said an analysis by Kenneth Thorpe, PhD, chair of the Dept. of Health Policy and Management at Emory University, Atlanta.

Over 10 years, the plan would relieve states of nearly $400 billion in health care costs.