Nancy Kassebaum: “Congress has spent significant time during the past 4 years debating comprehensive health care reform and major reforms…”

“Congress has spent significant time during the past 4 years debating comprehensive health care reform and major reforms to the Medicaid and Medicare Programs. While we have filled pages of newspapers and the Congressional Record and hearing records, our actions have not equaled our words. Meanwhile, many American families worry about the availability, portability, and cost of their own health care coverage. The health insurance problem is not merely one of perception. The health care market continues to transform itself. An example is the rapid movement toward managed care. At the same time, the number of uninsured and underinsured Americans has continued to climb. There are now over 40 million Americans without health insurance, and that number continues to grow. Over 1 million working Americans have lost health insurance in the last 2 years alone, and over 80 million Americans have preexisting conditions that could make it difficult for them to maintain health coverage when they change jobs. The current health insurance system provides too little protection for individuals and families with health problems and makes it too difficult for employers, particularly small employers, to obtain adequate coverage for their employees. It also locks people into jobs out of fear they will lose their health care coverage if they change jobs or if they lose their jobs.”