Nancy L. Johnson: “This bill is not turning our back; it is facing reality. To pass the substitute would be turning your back on 12,000…”

“This bill is not turning our back; it is facing reality. To pass the substitute would be turning your back on 12,000 people who live in States that do not yet have compliant programs and, therefore, will not be able to get the 65 percent subsidy of premiums that we offer now to people who are uninsured by reasons of trade competition. This is a temporary waiver just to give States more time to get compliant plans in place. It only runs through December of 2004. That is only basically a little over a year from the time they were supposed to have their plans up and running. It does not supersede State law relating to consumer insurance protections. So anything a State thought was important for consumer protection and health plans is there. We do not override State protections. We are providing a temporary waiver so that for the very first time in our country, a certain group of people who are unemployed will have tremendous help in buying health insurance during that period of unemployment. This is an extremely important initiative, because it sets up the structure through which we can deliver a two-thirds subsidy of premium to the uninsured in America.”