Health care players offer plan for uninsured

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Many of the leading players in U.S. health care joined together as "strange bedfellows" on Thursday to propose what they called a politically practical plan to provide health insurance to more than half of the 47 million Americans who lack it.

The plan envisioned more federal funds to help more children enroll in existing public programs, new tax credits and expanding eligibility for the Medicaid insurance program. Its backers were unable to say how much this would cost the U.S. government.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the proposal -- offered as the new Democratic-controlled Congress mulls how to address the twin problems of uninsured Americans and escalating health care costs -- was who crafted it.

It was hammered out over two years by 16 groups and companies that in the past often bickered with one another, including leading drug and insurance companies, health plans, the American Medical Association, hospital groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and consumer advocates.

Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, a senior AMA official, called the participants "the major players in health care" and said the idea is "to cover as many people as possible as quickly as possible."

The AFL-CIO and the SEIU labor union that represents service workers pulled out before the plan was finished, as did the National Association of Manufacturers.

Participants highlighted what they saw as the urgency of the problem -- 46.6 million Americans without any health insurance in a rich country of 300 million people -- and pledged to work together to demand government action.

"We recognize we're strange bedfellows," Ron Pollack, executive director of the Families USA advocacy group, told a news conference unveiling what he called a "politically practical" proposal. "But let this be clear -- we are not interested in a one-night stand."

'REALISTIC BLUEPRINT'

"These recommendations provide a realistic blueprint for immediate action by a bipartisan and caring Congress. We need more action and less debate," added Dr. Reed Tuckson, senior vice president of United Health Foundation.

The plan was split into two parts -- the first intended to bring insurance to 90 percent of the 9 million uninsured children, and the second part seeking coverage for uninsured adults.

Pollack said the aspect of the plan aimed at children would cost $45 billion over 5 years, but said no cost estimate was made for the uninsured adult component.

The proposal's creators acknowledged it fell short of universal health coverage. Alissa Fox, a vice president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, said "over half" of uninsured Americans would get coverage under the proposal.

The plan called for a "one-stop shopping" system in which low-income families could enroll uninsured children in public insurance programs at the same time they apply for other government programs like school lunches or food stamps.

Fox said 74 percent of uninsured children are eligible for public programs under current rules but are not enrolled.

Since killing former President Bill Clinton's controversial proposal for universal health coverage in 1994, Congress has not fixed the problem of growing numbers of uninsured Americans and runaway health care costs.

Among others backing the proposal were: the AARP advocacy organization for retired people, the American Academy of Family Physicians, America's Health Insurance Plans, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente and Pfizer.