Bill Clinton: “Well, I want to be very careful about how I answer that because I don't want to be throwing down gauntlets that may mean…”

“Well, I want to be very careful about how I answer that because I don't want to be throwing down gauntlets that may mean more than I wish to say. But let me say, to have a system that works, you not only have to have universal coverage but it seems to me that the benefits ought to include primary and preventive care. There ought to be a comprehensive set of benefits. Then there ought to be a clear outlawing of insurance practices which have caused so much misery and caused so many Americans to fall between the cracks. I think there should be an end to lifetime limits. I think there should be an end to preexisting conditions. I think there ought to be an end to discriminatory rate-setting based on age. In order to do this, I think we have to find some way of not only legislating community rating but actually having community rating. And we need a device that guarantees that small businesses and self-employed people will have access to insurance at competitive rates with people who are insured through big business and Government. I think that's very, very important. So these are the things that I think are critical. Now, if you're going to cover everybody, you have to either do it through a tax or through some device by which people pay into an insurance pool. I think the employer mandate, so-called, is the best way to do it, by providing guaranteed private insurance at the workplace because that's the way most Americans get their insurance today. I know there are some small businesses for whom this would create difficulties, so we developed a system of small business discounts paid for from tax proceeds. And the taxpayers would pay to cover those who are unemployed and uninsured. That's basically the way I think the system would have to work. There are lots of other things I think ought to be in it, but I think it's very important for the President, in the middle of a congressional process that is just now getting its sea legs and getting underway, not to be too specific in talking about vetoes. If we can begin with a good comprehensive system of universal coverage, we can go a long way to dealing with a lot of the other problems. As you know, my plan does deal with a number of your concerns, and I know you have more questions on that, so maybe we should get to the other questions.”