David Minge: “as many of us have recognized, this agreement and this legislation have multifaceted advantages, and of course there is…”

“as many of us have recognized, this agreement and this legislation have multifaceted advantages, and of course there is always a downside. I would like to emphasize one of what I think is the most positive attributes of the legislation, and that is its recognition of health care needs of Americans. First and foremost, we are now attempting to assist States in providing coverage to children who do not have health care insurance. Second, we are addressing the imbalance that exists between rural health care financing and urban. Altogether too long, Mr. Speaker, the rural portions of our country have been denied the chance to participate in managed care because of highly discriminatory regional reimbursement rate structures. Third, tomorrow we will take up legislation that addresses the tax deductibility of premiums for health insurance by self-employed individuals. These features together, I submit, are important reasons for supporting this legislation.”