Opening Statement of the Hon. Jim Ramstad, M.C., Minnesota

Hearing on the Nation's Uninsured

April 4, 2001

Madam Chairwoman, thank you for calling this important hearing today to examine the issue of the uninsured.

Our health care system is the finest in the world, with the highest quality of care found anywhere. However, we still suffer today and incur increased costs to our healthcare system because 42 million Americans do not have health insurance.

Uninsured Americans are a diverse group with more than four out of five employed full- time. One out of five of these workers choose not to purchase the coverage offered by their employers, citing the high cost of the insurance premiums. Others in the uninsured category are lower income individuals who are either ineligible or fail to enroll in existing public programs.

As we consider reforming and modernizing health care, I strongly believe that adding a host of new federal mandates will have the effect of increasing premiums and ultimately reducing the number of people with coverage.

Instead, I support reforms to the insurance market that expand access to health care and take steps to stem the rise in costs, while preserving our existing high-quality delivery system.

I believe the best way to help families afford insurance is to reduce the cost of health care services and insurance policies through market-oriented alternatives. To this end, I believe we need to give individuals and the self-employed the same health-insurance tax benefits enjoyed by corporations. This way, individuals can afford to shop the marketplace for the highest quality at the best price.

I also strongly support expanding Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) so more uninsured people are covered and have incentives to "comparison shop." Lastly, I believe we must look at reforming the medical malpractice regime to reduce, if not eliminate, the wasteful practice of "defensive medicine."

Madam Chairwoman, thanks again for calling this hearing. I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses on how we can best address this critical issue.